Road race offers amateurs runners ladder to the top

Even the most enthusiastic jogger might balk at the thought of a full 42-kilometer marathon, but how about a fun yet challenging 10 km run?

That's the thinking behind Infront Sports & Media's Happy 10K touring series, which provides amateur runners in different Chinese cities an entry-level race of moderate intensity followed by carnival-type activities.

This year's Happy 10K series will kick off in Shanghai on March 28, it was announced on Wednesday, followed by the second and third legs in Guangzhou and Chongqing on April 17 and May 8, respectively. After two more stops in another two cities, which have yet to be decided, the series will conclude with its final race in Beijing in September.

Each of the races is expected to attract about 7,000 runners, who will follow specially designed courses while assessing their endurance for serious competition, according to event organizer and promoter Infront.

"The event will be organized professionally according to international marathon standards such as course measurement, timing, officiating and doping control to provide a fully realized professional experience for amateur runners," said Zhao Feng, general manager of Infront China, on Wednesday.

Authorized by the Chinese Athletic Association as a Class-A road running event, the series will also start accepting entries from professional runners this year, with ranking points for the National Games offered as bonus.

The top three finishers in both men's and women's competitions at each stop will earn automatic berths in the Beijing final, while the best result in the series will be certificated as the national 10 km record by CAF.

Wang Dawei, vice-president of CAF, said the event now offers dedicated jogging enthusiasts an opportunity to advance to higher levels.

"Most of the road running events in China now focus on half- and full-length marathons, which are organized for advance runners. The lack of shorter distance races adapted to amateurs has been an issue. This event has provided a timely solution with an ideal platform for most of the runners," said Wang.