The continued appeal of the Kinmen Marathon, held on the offshore county of Kinmen, was on show early Saturday morning when 13,000 runners from across Taiwan took to the starting line for a 5km “fun run” on day one of the event.
The marathon was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and admissions were capped at 11,000 last year amid rising daily numbers of confirmed cases.
The fun run was free for participants, but they were still required to sign up in advance.
The runners gathered in front of Kinmen-Matsu Joint Services Center in the morning, many expressing excitement over the large turnout.
While some runners dressed in outlandish costumes, there were also five participants from the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association Taiwan Chapter.
With the help of specially designed frame runners, the athletes came to promote their belief that sport is for everyone, even those with disabilities, chapter head Chou Po-hung (???) told CNA.
The healing power of sport far surpasses that of rehabilitation, and cerebral palsy patients have the added benefit of interacting with people at the event, Chou said.
Runners who finished the 5km course received a free lunchbox and a bottle of Kaoliang liquor, a Kinmen specialty.
The Palauan Minister of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism and Development Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl was also present at the event.
Tmetuchl, one of five individuals to fire a starter pistol, said he was observing the event in preparation for the first-ever marathon in Palau to be held in June.
The event also features a 10km road run, 21km half-marathon and 42km full marathon on Sunday, where runners will compete for honors, with up to 600 trophies awarded to first-time runners who complete the full marathon.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel