Countdown to Hohhot Marathon starts

As the poster indicates, the countdown to the 2019 Hohhot Marathon has begun. [Photo/hhhtnews]

The countdown to the 2019 Hohhot Marathon has started, according to local media reports.

With just days now to go, the 2019 Hohhot Marathon is scheduled to open in Hohhot on May 25.

The event is to be hosted by the Chinese Athletic Association, the People's Daily, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region sports bureau and the Hohhot municipal people's government.

Around 15,000 runners are expected to take part in the event with two races open for participants –– a 10-kilometer run and a much shorter mini marathon.

Professional race planners from the Chinese Athletic Association will take charge of measuring the route and planning the logistics.

Organizers have taken care to ensure that the race route will take in a good selection of the best of Hohhot's natural beauty and urban scenery. It will start at Inner Mongolia International Exhibition Center and end back at the same location.

Hohhot held its first marathon on July 8 last year, attracting more than 10,000 runners from across the country.

For years, the city has been keen on hosting marathon games to give itself a fresh image and to boost the local economy and tourism, with events that chime with the national proposal for a healthy China.

This year, the city has taken the decision to promote the marathon as a national event.