World champion Bai set to defend Beijing Marathon title

Beijing, China – Berlin World Champion Bai Xue of China will return to defend her Beijing International Marathon title, when the 2009 edition of the race takes place this Sunday (18).

The 29th Beijing International Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

Tens of thousands of fans are expected to crowd into the historic Tiananmen Square at the marathon start to cheer on Bai and other home grown runners, especially the women who took top honours last year. The race wraps with a run down Olympic Boulevard, past the iconic Bird’s Nest stadium and Water Cube. Sunday’s weather is predicted to be partly cloudy, 7 to 15 C, with winds of up to 24 km per hour.

A record 30 million RMB ($4.4 million) has been splurged on this year’s event, making it the most profitable one to-date.