#1 Beautiful Course, #2 Difficult Course

"Dig the well before you are thirsty." - Chinese Proverb

Click photo to view in full-size...it gives a good perspective.
We learned today why some call the Great Wall the most difficult marathon in the world, but the first reaction of most who finished on Saturday was about the beauty of the race and the people who made it possible. Without a doubt, the race was better because of the generosity of the Chinese people. They transported bottled water to multiple key locations on the wall, motivated us in the small villages, and so much more. My brother and I both finished the marathon and crossed the finish line together. Our clock time was a little over 6 hours, but as you can imagine, the most valuable time was simply enjoying the experience. Like many others, we ran the 26.2 miles with small cameras and stopped often to snap photos on the wall and in the villages where the children were cheering us all on. To the right is our friend Denis Fitzgerald from St. Paul, Minnesota at ~ 10 miles...that's the last we saw of him until we finished.