People run through Langshan National Forest Park during the Nantong International Marathon on Oct 13. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

The Nantong International Marathon, a part of the 2019 China Forest Tour Festival, kicked off in Nantong, East China’s Jiangsu province, on Oct 13.

Nearly 15,000 runners from more than 20 countries and regions took part in the event, which consisted of a full marathon (42.195 kilometers), a half marathon (21.0975 km), and a 5-km race.

The top three spots in both the men’s and women’s full marathon were occupied by Kenyan runners, with the fastest times being 2 hr 18 min 3 sec for men and 2 hr 53 min 52 sec for women.

Liu Yun’an, a Nantong native, took sixth place in the men’s full marathon with a time of 2 hr 36 min 59 sec.

The race started at the Nantong Sports Exhibition Center and ended at Nantong No 2 Middle School. The route passed through Chongchuan and Gangzha districts, as well as the Nantong Economic and Technological Development Zone, running through a number of famous areas, including the Langshan National Forest Park, the Haohe River scenic area, and the Nantong Central Innovation District.

The event is part of the 2019 China Forest Tour Festival, which will be held in Nantong on Oct 18. It was covered by a number of media outlets via a 5G network.