Running's Great Wall of pain

When James Orphan was looking for a vacation destination for his family, he wanted two things: culture and a marathon.

The Walpole chiropractor and resident decided on a trip to China - nine days in Beijing with his wife and daughter and the Great Wall Marathon in the middle. On May 17, while Orphan tackled the 26.2-mile race that takes place partly on the Great Wall, his wife and 19-year-old daughter ran the 5 kilometer race that also takes place partially on the wall.

"It was crazy ... it was fun," the 54-year-old man said of his race, which he completed in 6:04:54.

"It was the most difficult race I ever did," added the two-time Ironman triathlete and veteran of the 2007 Boston Marathon.

Orphan estimated the race was "10 times more difficult" than the Boston Marathon. "Heartbreak Hill is nothing compared to the hills up in China," he said. "Once you do the Great Wall, anything else is easier."

The race consists of 17 miles through the countryside and 9.2 miles either on the wall or going to it.

According to reports, the challenging course typically takes 50 percent longer than other marathons. The stats bear this out: The most recent winner of The Great Wall race, Romualdo Sanchez Garita of Mexico, finished in 3:18:48 - more than an hour slower than the world marathon record.

The race took place near the city of Tianjin, three hours from Beijing. Runners started off zig-zagging three to four miles to the base of a mountain. It was 64 degrees and overcast at the start. By the end, the humidity increased and the temperature rose to 88, Orphan said.

After about four miles, runners hit the wall - literally.

At that point, the racers climb the wall passing over uneven levels that are connected by steps made more difficult by the fact that they differ in height.

As race literature attests, the Wall makes for a trying stretch. "Do not change your speed, even if you feel pressed by people passing by you on the first leg of the Wall," the race literature reads. "There are plenty of people in this world who take wild risks, and you do not need to imitate them. Keep this in mind here."

The Great Wall is actually a series of walls stretching over 4,000 miles along the historical northern border between China and Mongolia. The Great Wall portion of the race consists of 5,000 stone steps mismatched in height interspersed with the occasional flat stretch, Orphan said.

At one point, the Wall narrows and racers take to running single-file. Then one of its ramparts discontinues. Except for a thick rope at this point with a series of knots serving as a handrail, there is nothing between the path and a steep fall-away to the valley, Orphan said.

Most participants slowed to a walk on the Wall. Some, he said, were reduced to a crawl.

After roughly 1,700 competitors from 49 countries ran along the Wall, they continued through a valley filled with traditional Chinese villages. The villagers helped out at the water stops, Orphan said. They would say, "Hello," and "go, go, go," he said. "I think it was the highlight of their year." The area is impoverished and the running surface merely miles and miles of muddy roads. But the scenery is "breathtaking."

After running for miles through the valley villages, runners came again to the Wall. It was at this point, Orphan said, he thought, "I should've done more Blue Hills training."

After finishing, he made like Red Auerbach and his traditional victory cigar. But before looking toward the next race, he had a moment to consider what brought him and his family halfway around the world to run up and down stone steps and over muddy valley paths.

"It was on my list of things to do," he said. His wife finished first in her age group in the 5 kilometer race.

Jeb Bobseine can be reached at jeb@walpoletimes.com or 508-668-0243, ext. 13.