One Race， Two Nations

Pan Yingqiu

A new marathon along the Sino-Myanmar border has brought the people of the two countries closer together.

In recent years， marathon running has become increasingly popular in China. Marathons not only allow runners to test themselves physically， but also give them an opportunity to enjoy the host city. And if runners are able to cross national borders during a marathon and observe the landscapes and cultures of two countries in a single race， it must be an exceptional experience.

From Ruili to Muse

On the morning of Dec. 31， 2017， when most people in the border town of Ruili in southwestern Chinas Yunnan Province were still asleep， a crowd of running enthusiasts had already gathered for the start of the 2017 China （Ruili）-Myanmar （Muse） International Marathon.

As the whistle sounded at 9 a.m.， a total of 7，508 brightly dressed runners headed out. Wearing t-shirts with individual bib number， participants were able to run through two countries in a single race. Starting from the Jiegao Cultural Square in Ruili， they first ran towards the border checkpoint and then passed through the Muse border checkpoint before entering Myanmar. Following a 4.2-kilometer stretch in downtown Muse， racers returned to China via the Jiegao minor border checkpoint and ran across the Jiegao Bridge and then through the Ruili River Square to downtown Ruili. Both the marathon and half marathon ended at Ruilis Nongmo Lake Park， while the 8-kilometer race finished in Jiegao Cultural Square.

“The cross-border marathon is the first of its kind held in Ruili， and athletes participating in this challenging race had a taste of the unique charms of the China-Myanmar frontier region，” said Wei Gang， deputy secretary of CPC Dehong Prefectural Committee and the acting governor of Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture， Yunnan Province. Wei Gang believes that this event has contributed to both people-to-people exchanges and technical innovation along the Sino-Myanmar border.

At the beginning of the marathon， Dr. Myo Htun， head of the Department of Social Affairs of the Shan State Government of Myanmar， said that China and Myanmar have promoted friendly athletic exchanges and held a number of non-governmental sports events on the border. He also noted that this cross-border marathon race will encourage people of the two countries to lead healthier lives.

This cross-border marathon event attracted runners from as many as 19 countries and regions. After a heated contest of the full marathon race， Chinas Zhou Bo won the mens title， while Pauline Chepchumba from Kenya won the womens title.

A Unique Event

The 2017 China （Ruili）-Myanmar （Muse） International Marathon is the worlds first and only marathon that crosses through two countries.

The race is also the first of its kind co-organized by China and Myanmar. Sport is a universal language and governments of the two countries have enthusiastically supported this cooperative program. It is not only a pioneering event in the history of sports， but also a highlight of the friendly relations between China and Myanmar.

The event was also known as Chinas first high-tech marathon； 178 runners were invited to act as volunteers in a functional movement analysis study conducted by the Sports Genomics Institute， one of the worlds leading genome sequencing centers headquartered in Shenzhen， China. With the purpose of helping to prevent injuries and improve athletic achievements， researchers collected runners saliva and blood samples in order to investigate the impact of marathon racing on the human body. In order to help runners gain a better understanding of their bodies and receive more targeted training， the Sports Genetic Institute also offered every participant in the full and half marathons a free genetic test.

Mens marathon champion Zhou Bo said he felt good after his first cross-border marathon event. Training regularly， the results of his genetic testing were excellent.

Kenya athlete Paul Mwangi Ngoiri， who took second place in the mens marathon， said that he had won many marathons but this was his first time participating in a transnational event. Impressed by the hospitality shown to him by the people of Ruili， he said he looked forward to participating in the next cross-border marathon.

The event also offered special awards for runners from Myanmar， while the first six athletes completing in the mens marathon and half marathon， as well as womens marathon and half marathon respectively， were awarded bonuses. The top 20 runners， regardless of gender， from Myanmar in the experience group were award the Paukphaw Friendship Prize and received cash prizes according to their results.

Race organizers also provided participants with free one-stop services to help with entry and exit procedures when crossing the border during the race. After a runners registration was reviewed and approved， photos were taken on site and their information was later checked when they collected their materials for the race. Different groups of organizers worked together to ensure the efficiency of this one-stop service.

All participants in the event were rewarded with free entry into the scenic spots of Ruili. By providing their bib number， runners could enjoy free visits to a number of tourist attractions， including Moli Rainforest Park， Two Countries in One Village， Frontier Cultural Park， Hansha Village， Single Tree Forest and Valley of Treasure Hunting.