Beijing Games organizers are finalizing the Olympic marathon
route, which is set to become a spectacular showcase of the
nation's capital.
Organizers and venue design consultants recently toured Beijing
in a bus to inspect the best possible routes for one of the most
popular Olympic events.
Full details of the official 42km route are still closely
guarded. However, the coarse is expected to show off Beijing's most
famous landmarks, in the same way the 2004 marathon highlighted the
ancient ruins of Athens and the 2000 race revealed Sydney's Opera
House, Harbor Bridge and waterways.
The Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square, the Drum and Bell Tower,
the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven could be among many
world-famous city icons that feature in the race.
One of the consultants on the bus tour told China Daily
the marathon route needed to take into account special factors.
"For example, the runners need to be seen from above by camera
crews in helicopters, so race organizers had to consider the height
of trees along certain sections of the road," he said.
The Beijing marathon, held in October last year, will also help
organizers plan the best route.
The 2006 race started at Tian'anmen Square and traveled west
through the Second Ring road, through to Yuyuantan Park and across
to Fourth Ring road. Runners then turned north to the Summer
Palace, north to the Fifth Ring road and then east to the National
Olympic Sports Center.
James Kwambi Kipsang from Kenya won the event with a time of
2:10:36. The best Chinese male runners were Ren Longyun (2:15:13)
and Li Youcai (2:15:29) who finished eighth and ninth.
(China Daily January 5, 2007)
