KUNMING, China, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Tired of normal city marathon tournaments? How about running through an ocean of flourishing flowers in the beautiful spring? The 2018 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Luoping, which is to be held on March. 10 next year, will provide runners from all over the world exactly this opportunity.
The organizing committee announced details of the tournament on Thursday.
The competition, scheduled to be held during the local Rapeseed Cultural Tourist Festival, consists of three categories, including half-marathon, 10km and 5km. An estimated 10,000 runners will run in the field of rapeseed blossoms which covers more than 530 square kilometers.
Luoping, located in southwestern China Yunnan province, is known as the Eastern Garden for the sea of splendid rapeseed flowers that blossom in the spring.
"We hope to make the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon a famous international sporting event with local characteristics. On one hand, we want to promote mass sports by holding this tournament. On the other hand, we are dedicated to combining sports and tourism, make our city a worldwide famous tourist attraction," Luoping secretary of county committee Lu Pinhong said.
The co-organizers of the event, Wanda Sports, have previously cooperated with the Yunnan Sports Bureau during the IRONMAN 70.3, held in the region in August.
"We know that Yunnan province has attached great importance to mass sports. And it's our great honor to take the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon to the region," Wanda Sports China Deputy General Manager Lewis Liu said.
As the same as the other marathon tournaments, the organizers have prepared medals which combine local culture and Rock 'n' Rock elements for the participants. The design of the medals will be revealed later.
According to the organizers, the participants will also have chances to earn tickets to world top-level marathon tournaments in Chicago, Berlin, London and Boston.
