HENGSHUI, China, Sept. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2018 "Yangyuan-Six Walnuts" Hengshui Lake International Marathon is scheduled to commence at Hengshui Lake, Hebei province, China at 7:30 am on September 29, 2018. Nearly 18,000 runners signed up for this year's event, which was upgraded from the International Association of Athletics Federation's (IIAF) Road Race Bronze Label to the certification organization's Silver Label. The event's organizers have always been and remain committed to providing comprehensive services to the runners.

The Hengshui Lake International Marathon is the top-tier road race in Hengshui and in Hebei province. In its 7th edition, the event is working towards being accredited as a Gold Label race by both the Chinese Athletic Association and IIAF via overall improvements in the race itself as well as in the quality of the provided services and facilities.

One of the features of the marathon that sets it apart from others like it is the beauty of its lakeside location and the efforts from the organizers to leave the event site in the same pristine condition in which it was found, as well as avoiding any harm to the birds, some of them rare breeds, that inhabit the area. In this vein, the theme selected for this year's race "Green Marathon, Beautiful Hengshui Lake", reflects these efforts. A team will be assembled to pick up garbage along the course and a wishing wall whose message is focused on the protection of the area's birds will be set up with the aim of encouraging runners and visitors to take actions to protect the ecological environment of the lake and its rare avian species, in line with this year's theme.

The Hengshui Lake International Marathon has earned high praise for the excellent services provided to runners and visitors alike over the course of its seven-year history. This year, the organizer's aim is to continue improving the management of the event to further stimulate local economic development as well as to reflect the vigor and passion that the local citizenry has for the marathon and for sports and sporting events in general.

SOURCE Hengshui Lake International Marathon Organizing Committee