HOHHOT, China, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- A desert hiking contest is slated for November 26 in Maowusu Desert of Ordos City, northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the local sports bureau announced on Tuesday.
Hikers will participate in two separate categories, including a 25-kilometer team competition that has two male and one female hikers in each team, and a 10-kilometer contest for individuals, said local sports officials.
The fastest eight teams and 15 individuals will recieve bonuses from the event, sponsored by the Inner Mongolia Sports Bureau. The first prize team winners will take home 10,000 yuan (about 1,506 USD).
Maowusu Desert, with an area of 42,000 square kilometers, lies mainly in the southern part of Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, the eastern part of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and the northern part of Shaanxi Province.
Over the past several decades, China's government-led afforestation efforts have stopped the spread of desertification of Maowusu Desert and raised its forest coverage rate.
