Running from hot to cold

"Today we went for a training run and I was shivering. Yesterday we went for training and I thought to myself 'oh God, I'm going to die'. I am trying to get used to it but the cold can destroy your muscles," she said.

Calonnie shares a manager with Nigerian half-marathon specialist Hamadjarn Soudi Yaya, who traveled around China during December and January to compete. He finds that despite the hardships there are many advantages to his career as a marathon runner.

"Running lets me travel, lets me see many different places, if it wasn't for running I don't think there is a chance I would ever have come to China," he said.

There's no doubt coming to a place far away from home challenges Yaya.

He enjoys trying new foods and meeting people from different parts of the world but finds the language barrier frustrating.