Urumqi to host winter marathons

An "ice and snow" marathon will be held in Urumqi, Xinjiang autonomous region, on Jan 1 next year, according to the regional sports administration.

The competition, 2017 Urumqi Silk Road Ice and Snow Marathon, will be held in the city's TianShan Grand Canyon. It will consist of four events: a full marathon of 42.2 kilometers; a half marathon of 21.1 km; a mini marathon of 10 km; and a parent-child run of 3 km.

The administration said it expects 3,000 domestic and overseas runners to register for the competition, with a prize of 30,000 yuan ($4,300) to be awarded to the winner of the full marathon.