Taipei, March 19 (CNA) New Taipei City government welcomed 22 foreign runners, representing nine countries, at the Boutix Resort Hotel in Yehliu on Saturday, prior to an internationally certified marathon the following day.
The 2016 New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon, which runs through the city's Wanli, Jinshan and Shimen districts on the northern coast, is the only marathon in Taiwan certified by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) and attracts about 12,000 runners from home and abroad.
Out of the 22 elite marathon runners invited, 11 are men, including William Chebon Chebor of Kenya and Japanese "citizen runner" Yuki Kawauchi.
The 11 female runners include Olha Kotovska of Ukraine and Hellen Wanjiku Mugo of Kenya.
The international observer of the marathon is Brian Roe, an IAAF technical committee member and ethics and integrity manager of Athletics Australia.(Courtesy of CNA)
