Day Four

Today everyone was on pins & needles as we boarded our bus for a 2 hour ride out to The Great Wall. Marathon Tours insists that everyone meet at the site to get instructions, do a mini-walk along the wall, and finalize and review all the details. Our drive was a freeway that turned into a winding road which wound its way up up up back and forth down then up... Some compared it to the road to Hana...others to the road down to Yosemite. Whatever we were all glad when we finally arrived at Yin Yang Square.

2500 people registered to run the marathon from over 50 different countries. 1200 people are doing the half marathon and 800 are doing the entire marathon...the balance are doing a 5K "fun run". Those in our group doing the entire marathon include Dan Franklin, Ernie Prudente, Bill Simon, Stevie Gill, and the (4) YOUNGSTERS - our Sound Body Sound Mind group of 20 year olds Alex, Ben, Nathan, and Pat. Kate Prudente and her kids and Tony Winston are doing the Fun Run. Frank Baxter is doing the half marathon... but having run MANY marathons before I wouldn't be surprised if he approached the end and kept on going!!!

We have a GROUP PHOTO which I will post later.