China half-marathon offers cow, wild fish and chickens as prizes

HONG KONG – A half-marathon in China’s north-east province of Jilin has announced an unusual selection of prizes, with the first over the line winning a cow and other runners getting wild fish, geese or roosters, in a bid to attract more participants and promote local produce.

The organisers of the Nong’an Taipingchi Ice and Snow half-marathon which will be held on Dec 29 said in a WeChat post that male and female champions of the race would be awarded a cow.

If they do not want the cow, the farm animal could also be exchanged for 6,000 yuan (S$1,100).

Second place gets wild fish from Taiping pond, while other prizes were geese, ducks and roosters from the same pond. Other finishers will get 10kg of rice and wheat.

“Grand prizes are coming and the champions (will be) so proud. The organising committee is full of sincerity,” the post from the organisers said.

“Indeed, the top prize this year is a cow. Last year, we offered wild fish as the top prize, with second-place winners receiving chickens and ducks.

“The champion has the option to either take the cow home or exchange it for 6,000 yuan in cash. The enthusiasm for registration has been remarkable, with many participants expressing interest in these unique prizes.”

The notice was widely circulated on Chinese social media and was ranked as one of the hottest topics on platform Weibo on Dec 10.

“If the first-place person lives overseas, do you need to buy a high-speed train ticket for cattle?” asked one user.

The event is due to take place in the Wetland Park in Nong’an county, Jilin, which is a major agriculture producer.

Marathon running has

grown rapidly in China in recent years

with a total of 622 marathons and half-marathons held across the country in 2023. Events are taking place at a rate of nearly two per day on average, according to the Chinese Athletics Association.

Smaller cities and counties with populations of a few hundred thousand have also begun organising different kinds of running events.

Chinese social media is also teeming with comments on marathon events, sportswear and equipment, as well as training and diet tips.

More than 30 marathons and other road-running events were held across China on Nov 2 and 3, drawing approximately 400,000 participants, the Xinhua official news agency said last week. REUTERS