The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic GamesAugust 8-24 2008
(BEIJING, April 30) -- The Sport for All Marathon and the SAMSUNG Cup 2008 Beijing International Long-Distance Running Festival took place at the Olympic Green on April 30, which marked the 100-day countdown to the Beijing Olympic Games.
Activities included a marathon relay, a fitness run and a public sports exhibition.
Around 1,000 people representing various districts and counties of Beijing, industry associations and running clubs formed 200 teams to take part in the four-leg relay. Feng Jianzhong, vice minister of the General Administration of Sport of China; Cai Fuchao, member of the Standing Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and vice mayor of Beijing Municipality; BOCOG Executive Vice-President Liu Jingmin; and Park Keun-hee, president of Samsung China, announced the start of the relay.
Some 1,000 runners, including ambassadors from other countries and Beijing citizens from different districts and counties, took part in the 31.5 kilometers relay, which starts from the west public area of the national stadium and also ends at the "Bird's Nest".
About 10,000 people showed their support and welcome for the Beijing Olympics by attending a series of celebrating programs including the marathon relay, a 2 kilometers run and a public sports exhibition.
The activities were broadcast live via CCTV and China National Radio. Over 100 journalists covered the event.
