More than 1,000 athletes expected at Yushan Marathon

More than 1,000 runners from the US, Hong Kong and Taiwan are set to compete in the Yushan Marathon on Sunday.

The race is part of a series organized by the Chinese Taipei Orienteering Association on different mountains in Taiwan every year.

This year’s marathon is the third to be held on Yushan (玉山) in a decade. The first was held in 1997, and the second five years ago.

Last year, the association hosted a marathon on Hohuanshan (合歡山).

Sixty-nine-year-old Taipei resident Lin Fu-mei (林富美) is one of the runners preparing for the Yushan Marathon.

Lin started running marathons when she was 54, after being diagnosed with a benign tumor in her gall bladder.

Lin has run marathons hosted by the association on Da­shui­shan (大雪山), Ho­huan­shan and Da­ba­jian­shan (大霸尖山).

So far, Lin’s tumor has shown no signs of turning malignant.

“Running is probably the best way to stay fit,” Lin said. “I will continue to run until the day I can’t run anymore.”

Association director-general Lai A-shi (賴阿溪) said approximately 1,200 people had registered to compete in the race.

The registration deadline was last month.

About 500 people signed up to run the challenger race, which is a 21km race from Dongpu (東埔) to the observatory located at the 2,862m mark on Yushan.

The rest will take part in the 12km race, which is described as a scenic route that also begins from Dongpu.

Lai said the Yushan Marathon is only half the distance of a regular marathon because of the scarcity of oxygen at high altitude.

To protect the athletes, the association has prepared oxygen tanks and arranged medical professionals to stand by at 10 emergency care stations along the route.