"We won’t be coming back," grumbled one Dutch runner soon after he crossed the finish line of yesterday's Beijing Marathon. It seems that he and 49 of his compatriots who had flown out especially for the race were disappointed by mile after mile of expressways and construction sites around the outskirts of the city. Having just run the race myself, I could see their point: the promotional material promised participants the best of the capital's "modern and historical" aspects but, in reality, runners were treated to little more than the best of Beijing's wastelands.

It'd be unfair, however, to blame the organizers for the marathon's uninspiring route, which had to be changed last minute owing to the happenings at this month's National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Whereas marathon dates are set over a year in advance to allow participants sufficient time to prepare, for one reason or another, the dates of China's biggest political event for five years were only announced three weeks ago, resulting in the traditional starting line at Tian'anmen square – the race’s historical showpiece – being relocated to the more modern environs of the Olympic Village. The only problem being that Beijing's Olympic Village is so modern it hasn’t even been completed yet. Only the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube looming in the background served to remind participants that world’s biggest sporting event was soon to descend on this very spot.

While the timing of the marathon/National Congress of the Communist Party of China (depending on how you look at it) certainly didn’t benefit the race's aesthetic appeal, it certainly helped support Beijing's reputation as a city fit to host endurance events. Contrary to recent comments made by Ethiopian middle distance runners Kenenisa Bekele and Meseret Defar who described Beijing’s air quality as "disgusting," blue skies prevailed on Sunday (perhaps having something to do with the political proceedings in the Great Hall of People?) to ensure near perfect running conditions for amateurs and professionals alike. Further to this, the course was well staffed and lined with water stations – a far cry from the shortcomings of past marathons held in the capital.

While Chinese runners dominated the podiums, Kenya's Nephat Kinyanjui overtook crowd favorites Ren Longyun and Han Gang in the last kilometer to claim first place and a time of 2 hours and 8 minutes in the men's competition, while the women's competition was won by China's Chen Rong (2hours and 27 minutes), with compatriots Zhang Yingying and Bia Xue finishing second and third respectively.

It remains to be seen whether more foreign athletes will compete in the 2008 China Marathon, an official test event on April 20, but since there shouldn't be any impromptu political meetings to rob them of their Tian'anmen start, there should be a more enthusiastic turnout.

Links and Sources:
Beijing Marathon Official Site
Sina.com: Images
Xinhua: Kinyanjui, Chen win Beijing marathon
China Daily: Chinese women sweep Beijing Marathon
IHT: Endurance athletes worry about pollution in Beijing