The Marathons

• This year's Gobi March, located around Kashgar, will be the fourth event located along the ancient Silk Road – past locations included Dunhuang, Turpan and Hami
• This year contains a record field of roughly 185 individuals from 23 countries
• A total of 23 nationalities will be taking part
• The youngest competitor is 19 years old (from Canada) and the oldest is 70 years old (from the United States)
• The largest contingent of competitors is from the United Kingdom followed by the United States
• The largest contingent of competitors from Asia hails from South Korea followed by Japan
• 85 percent of the competitors are male and 15 percent female
• The average age of competitors is 39 years of age
• The field of competitors includes an ex-professional baseball player, a former Olympic rower from the United Kingdom, three local Chinese from Xinjiang Province (staff of The Esquel Group), an individual who has completed the Seven Summits, a blind individual from Korea, a judo champion, bankers from major investment banks including JPMorgan, HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, ABN Amro, Citigroup and Macquarie, consultants from Pricewaterhousecoopers and McKinsey, many entrepreneurs and small business owners and military officers, among many other fascinating and diverse backgrounds.
• There will be a total of 50 international staff and volunteers at the Gobi March. A total of 50 locals will also support the event. The volunteers come from 17 different countries.
• Operation Smile, an international charity, will be screening children for surgery shortly before the event – competitors in past Gobi March events have raised more than US$300,000 to fund missions in China
• A donation of books has been made to local schools around Kashgar
• The Gobi March (China) 2007 will be roughly 250 kilometers -- six stages over seven days.  The expected terrain will include river crossings, rocky terrain, gorges, mountains, donkey trails and long expanses of flat desert.  The altitude is expected to reach almost 13,000 feet (3963 meters).  The course may be modified daily depending on expected levels of the rivers or poor weather conditions. The daily stage names and distances are as follows:
  
  Stage 1:  Tajikistan in China (35 kilometers)
  Stage 2:  Datong Fork (35 kilometers)
  Stage 3:  Stairway to Heaven (40 kilometers)
  Stage 4:  The River that Never Ends (45 kilometers)
  Stage 5:  The Long March (80 kilometers)
  Stage 6:  In the Shadow of Chairman Mao (20 kilometers)
  
  Note:  The distances are approximations and will likely change.
  
  The map below is an outline of the expected course which starts around Tashkorgan in Xinjiang Province, China.
  

Contact: aisling@runjohnnyrun.ie

Contact: aisling@runjohnnyrun.ie