Contestants tear away from the starting line at the 2023 Rock'n'Roll Datong Half Marathon, Sept 23. [Photo/Shanxi Daily] 

The 2023 Rock'n'Roll Datong Half Marathon kicked off with much enthusiasm in Datong city, North China's Shanxi province, on Sept 23. 

Unlike traditional marathons, it featured rock music performances during the race, allowing participants to race to an exhilarating soundtrack.

The first rock'n'roll marathon was held in San Diego, California in 1998. Since being introduced to China in 2017, it has been held in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing and other cities. And now it has landed in Datong. 

In addition to the large performance stages at the starting and finishing lines, Datong also arranged four music "cheering stations" along the route so the runners could feel buoyed by the energetic rock songs during the marathon.

Runners make gestures associated with rock music, during the 2023 Rock'n'Roll Datong Half Marathon on Sept 23.  [Photo/Yellow River News] 

Organized by the Datong municipal government, the event featured two categories: a half marathon (21.0975 kilometers) and a fun run (approximately 6 km). It attracted over 7,000 participants from 25 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China, as well as runners from countries such as Ethiopia and Turkmenistan. 

To let more runners and rock music fans feel the profound heritage of Datong as a historic city, the organizing committee designed the racecourse around famous historical sites such as the Drum Tower and Huayan Temple. Moreover, the course began and ended at Wenyin Lake Square.

After some fierce competition, Abduljelil Abdulwokil Faris from Ethiopia secured first place in the men's half marathon category with a time of 1 hour, 40 minutes and 40 seconds, and his compatriot Mengesha Adae Anmaw won the women's race.