Changbaishan aims to lead nation's snow marathon and winter industry

Runners compete at the China Changbai Mountain International Forest Sea Snow Marathon Festival at Changbaishan Mountain in Northeast China's Jilin province on April 1, 2019. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

About 500 running enthusiasts from 16 countries scaled a 11-kilometer snow-covered mountainous route leading to Tianchi Lake at an altitude above 2,000 meters during the China Changbai Mountain International Forest Sea Snow Marathon Festival at Changbaishan Mountain resort of Northeast China's Jilin province on Monday.

The festival was organized by the mountain resort administrative committee and Hongkong-based Takungpao.com to carry out the national strategy to get the nation's southern areas more involved in winter sports and improve cooperation between the nation's traditional industrial province and the Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

Timothy Tsun-ting Fok, 73, an IOC member from Hong Kong and president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, attended the festival and finished a 4 km hike in a snowy mountain forest route at the resort on his own on Sunday.

Wang Ku, director of the resort administrative committee, said Changbaishan is aiming to build the world's top snow marathon brand.

The men's race was won by Jonas Thuerig from Switzerland, who clocked in at 54 minutes 38 seconds, while the women’s title went to Sun Lemei, a local runner finishing at 1 hour 8 minutes and 41 seconds.