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Taroko Marathon boosts `green' dream

It will never be the quickest or biggest marathon in the world but it may just be the most beautiful.

It was like a pilgrimage yesterday at the third Taroko Gorge Marathon in Hualien, when souls woke well before dawn to prepare for the start of the race at 7am.

They arrived by plane, train, automobile and bike to run up Wensan Mountain, through what have been called some of the most scenic vignettes on the planet.

After the full and half-marathons got underway and before a fun run, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) blessed the event and led the huddled masses gathered there on a walking race.

The marathon is said to be important to Chen as he struggles to create what has been termed a "green silicon island," a tech utopia that is not just environmentally friendly, but also tourist friendly.

The Taroko Gorge Marathon is a determined attempt by local and central government agencies, with private funding, to put Hualien and its natural attractions on the map.

It originally tried selling the race as the only marathon in a gorge, but when people said "so what?" the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee came up with the slogan "most beautiful marathon in the world."

And it seems to to be working.

Over 12,000 runners took part in the various races -- three-and-a-half times more than last year -- added to which were their families, friends and spectators.

Twenty-one kilometer runner and English teacher Tony Wilson said he had seen an advert for the race on television "so I just decided to take part."

"It really is a beautiful route and it will get bigger and better. I fully enjoyed the cheerleaders encouraging us on the way back," Wilson said.

But there was criticism. Canadian traveler and 21km runner Eugene Winer said the races should have been staggered better because some of the fastest runners had to battle through runners coming the opposite way on narrow roads to reach the finish.

"It was a bit of madness making it through the fun-runners and walkers. The front guy was fine but eight, nine and ten had problems," Winer said.

If the race does get bigger it will almost certainly need to choose a route that does not double back on itself. It will also have to raise the prize money if it is to attract international-caliber runners. Winner Wu Wen-chien (吳文騫) picked up just NT$50,000 for first prize.

Uladimir Kotau, who came third, said, "This is a very special race but it must be supported with money if more athletes are to come."

China Motor Corp CEO Su chin-yang (蘇慶陽) -- the main sponsor of the marathon -- agreed with the assessment and promised more funding for next year.
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