I. Date & Venue:
Date: 8:00a.m, Saturday, January 5th, 2008
Venue: Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center, China

II. Course Map:

1. Marathon: The Start (Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center) -> Huandao Road -> Minzu Road -> Lujiang Road -> Hubinnan Road -> Hubinzhong Road -> Hubinbei Road -> Dongdu Road -> Hubinxi Road -> Lujiang Road -> Yanwu Bridge -> Huandao Road -> The Finish (Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center)
2. Half Marathon: The Start (Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center) -> Huandao Road -> Minzu Road -> Lujiang Road -> Hubinnan Road -> Hubinzhong Road -> The Finish (Eastern section of Hubinbei Road)
3. 10km: The Start (Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center) -> Huandao Road -> The Finish (Intersection at Siming Software Park)
4. 5km: The Start (Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center) -> Huandao Road The Finish (Entrance to Yunding Tunnel)

III. Rules:

1. The events are conducted in accordance with Rules and Regulations for Track & Field certified by International Association of Athletics Federations.
2. One start for all races.
3. Closing time:
   
   

   5km 10km Half marathon 30km 35km Marathon 1 hour 1.5 hours 3 hours 4 hours 5 hours 6 hours

   
   Participants should stop running, and get on the Pick-up Coaches or leave the course straightly, when the closing time comes. The road traffic will be recovered; all responsibilities for any accident occurred due to continue running shall be borne by the participants own.
   
   
4. Participants in the Full Marathon must wear the timing chip

IV. Number bibs:

1. Color definitions
   
   

   Event	Male	Female
   Marathon	Black character written on white background	Red character written on white background
   Half Marathon	Black character written on red background	White character written on red background
   10km	Black character written on blue background
   5km	Black character written on yellow background

   
   
2. Wearing requirements
   1) One number bib will be distributed to each participant of 5km and 10km races. It should be pinned to the chest.
   2) Three number bibs will be distributed to each participant of Half Marathon and Full Marathon. One should be pinned to the chest, one on the back, and the third one on the cloakroom bag.
   3) Number bib is an important identification of the participants. Participants must wear the number bibs and check in at the starting area. Participants must be wearing the number bibs throughout the race. In case any of the number bibs is missing, the participant will be disqualified from the race.
   4) The number bibs should not be transferred. All responsibilities for any accident occurred due to the transfer of the number bibs shall be borne by the original assignee of the number bibs.

V. Cloakroom:

1. Full Marathon: The cloakroom is nearby the start and finish areas. The cloaked articles can be collected from the original cloakroom upon the presentation of the number bibs. The cloakroom working time: 6:30~15:00
2. Half Marathon: Special cloakroom vehicles are available for depositing clothes and articles, which are located on the path nearby the half marathon start point. The cloaked articles can be collected from the original cloakroom vehicles which is 150 meters ahead the half marathon finish point. And the number bibs should be presented. The cloakroom vehicle working time: 6:30~15:00.
3. If the cloaked articles can¡¯t be collected in time after the game, please go to the registration hall in the Xiamen Sports Center within three days. The cloaked articles will be disposed as no owner after that time.
4. Only clothes can be put in the cloakroom bag. Inflammable or explosive articles and valuables will not be accepted. No official cloakroom service is provided to 10km and 5km entrants.

VI. Check-in:

1. Check-in time: 6:30-7:30 am, 5 January, 2008
2. Check-in venue:
   (1) Full Marathon: behind the White Start Gate. Square 1 for invited foreign athletes, Square 2 for the athletes participating in the National Marathon Championships and National Open-university Marathon, Square 3 for group participants, and Square 4 for individual participants.
   
   (2) Half Marathon: behind the Red Arch. Square 1 for group participants, Square 2 for individual participants.
   
   (3) 10km Race: behind the Blue Arch. Square 1 for group participants, Square 2 for individual participants.
   
   (4) 5km Race: behind the Green Arch. Square 1 for group participants, Square 2 for individual participants.
3. Check-in Requirements:
   (1) Participants should be checked on time.
   (2) Participants should wear the T-shirts handed out by Xiamen International Marathon.

VII. Distribution of timing chips and awarding of certificates

1. An electronic timing system will be used for recording full marathon results. Each participant will receive a timing chip with a deposit of RMB100. Chips are available 5 days before the event at the Participants Division of the Competition Department. Participants without chips will not be recognized. The deposit will be refunded after the competition is over in the rest section of the finish area when the chips are returned. In case the participants miss the opportunity to return the chip, please go to the registration hall in the Xiamen Sports Center(No.2,Tiyu Road) for refunding, during 08:30a.m.--11:30a.m. on January 6th and 7th . (Contact: Mr.Wang Chao,Tel: 0592-5049936)
   
   
2. Results for half marathon, 10-km race and 5-km race participants are recorded by the calculagraph at the respective finish gates. All competitors except the half marathon first 8th finishers should fill their finish time in their own certificates (certificates have been distributed together with the number bibs).
   
   
3. The top eight finishers of Half Marathon and all the Full Marathon finishers in the closing time will be granted certificates at the Competition Secretariat in the finish area 1 hour later, upon the presentation of number bibs.

VIII. Refreshment & Sponging Stations:

1. Refreshments will be provided on tables with different colors at the stations: (1) Red table serving participants¡¯ personal refreshments; (2) Blue table serving officially provided refreshments; (3) White table serving officially provided drinking water. The distance between every two refreshment tables is 30 meters. Refreshments on the red table are prepared by the participant and can be taken only by the participant himself. Should any participant take other participant¡¯s personal refreshments, he will be disqualified from the competition.
   
   
2. Refreshment stations are located at the start point, the Finish point and those 5, 10,15,20,25,30,35,40 kilometer points.
   
   
3. Drinking/Sponging stations are located between refreshment stations (7.5, 12.5, 17.5, 22.5, 27.5, 32.5, 37.5 kilometer points), where drinking water and sponges are available for all participants.
   
   
4. Personal Refreshments: Only the professional participants have this service. Participants should submit their personal refreshments to the Competition Department of the Organizing Committee before 8.00 p.m., January 4th. The Personal Refreshments Registration Sheet should be filled clearly, in order to be disposed and recognized easily.

IX. First-Aid:
First-Aid stations will be set up at the Start area, the Finish area and along all the course with clear signs. Ambulance service is available along the course. Should the participant feel he is not up to the competition at any point during the race, he should quit so as to avoiding any accidents or injuries.

X. Pick-up Coaches:
Pick-up Coaches will follow the Full and Half marathoners. Those who are obviously unable to continue due to lack of energy and those who are unable to finish the race within the gate closing time should quit the race or wait for the Pick-up Coach aside, and report his or her participation number and competition event to the referee.

XI. Recognition & Awards:

1. Rankings Recognition
   1) The rankings of the top eight finishers in the Full Marathon and Half Marathon will be recognized based on their results.
   2) No rankings will be applied to the 5km and 10km Race.
2. Awards¡¡
   1) Position awards:
   A. Full Marathon (in USD):
   

   Rankings 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Men's 30,000 15,000 8,000 5,000 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 Women's 25,000 10,000 6,000 3,000 2,000 1,500 1,200 1,000

   
   B. Half Marathon (in RMB):
   

   Rankings	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th
   Bonus	5, 000	4, 000	3, 000	2, 500	2, 000	1, 000	1, 000	1, 000

   
   C. National Marathon Championship: Each of the first eight participants will be awarded one model and one certificate, which should be registered in CAA.
   
   D. National Open-University Marathon: Each of the first eight participants will be awarded one model and one certificate. Each of the first eight teams will be awarded one trophy cup and one certificate.
   
   2) Time awards:
   Time awards should not be accumulated, the same person can be awarded the higher one only.
   Men:
   A. Awarded 10,000 USD dollars, who finished marathon within 2:09:59.
   B. Awarded 15,000 USD dollars, who finished marathon within 2:09:03(Xiamen Marathon Record).
   C. Awards 15,000 USD dollars and goods (150,000 RMB worth), who finished marathon within 2:09:03(Xiamen Marathon Record)and get the 2008 Xiamen International Marathon champion.
   
   Women:
   A. Awarded 5,000 USD dollars, who finished marathon within 2:24:00.
   B. Awarded 10,000 USD dollars, who finished marathon within 2:23:28(Xiamen Marathon Record).
   C. Awards 15,000 USD dollars and goods (150,000 RMB worth), who finished marathon within 2:09:03(Xiamen Marathon Record) and get the 2008 Xiamen International Marathon champion.
   
   
3. World Records awards for men and women:: Awarded 500,000 USD dollars for World Marathon Record breaking.
   
   
4. Please refer to the Rules and Regulations for more awards details.

XII. Awarding Ceremony:

1. Awarding ceremonies will be held at Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center.
2. Top eight male and female Full Marathon finishers should go to Post Competition Control (No. 109 room, First floor of the Exhibition Center) waiting for the awarding ceremony after the competition.
3. Top eight male and female Half Marathon finishers should assemble at the finish point, where the referee will lead them to attend the awarding ceremonies by coach.

XIII. Accident Insurance
Participants should buy insurance for themselves. The Xiamen Marathon Organizing Committee supplies another accident insurance accident insurance for each participant. (Details in the Accident Insurance Description)

XIV. Miscellaneous

1. People who fall into the following categories are advised NOT to participate in the marathon competition:
   
   (1) those with congenital heart disease and rheumatic heart disease
   (2) those with hypertension and cerebrovascular disease
   (3) those with myocarditis and other heart disease
   (4) those has serious coronary artery disease and serious arrhythmia
   (5) diabetics with blood sugar of overtop or overlow.
   (6) others who are not suitable to sport.
   
   
2. Basic knowledge
   1) Why take the medical check-up before the race?
   Pre-race medical check-ups are necessary to avoid accidents, as some hidden diseases may be triggered during the tough race, which is especially dangerous to those with cardiovascular diseases such as early hypertension, latent coronary heart disease, diabetes; or those with respiratory diseases such as pulmonary heart disease, chronic bronchitis, hepatitis, nephritis or osteoporosis. People matching any of the following descriptions in the medical check-up should not participate in the race: a heart beat rate of 85 per minute measured in the calm state; blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg, coronary heart disease, irregular heart rhythms, AV conduction block and other diseases of the heart and cerebral veins; in the active period of chronic diseases, in the stable period of chronic diseases but with a less-than-three-month participation in a specific sport; experience of cold with fever, chest distress and suffocation, or palpitation for more than three consecutive days within one week before the race; serious insomnia; gastrointestinal diseases; injury within 72 hours before the race; breath frequency higher than 24 times per minute in a calm state; body temperature above 37 degree Celsius; abnormal liver functions; urine protein and cast found at urine test.
   
   2) Why urinate and defecate before the race?
   Excrement is the remnant left after food is digested and nutrition absorbed. Urine is comprised of excess water in the human body and waste liquid left after filtration of kidney of the waste liquid produced by the metabolism in the muscles and blood. Urine in the bladder and excrement in the recta add to the body weight and cause inconvenience and discomfort while people are doing exercises. What's more, the thin bladder wall may break in rough exercises if the bladder is filled with urine. Therefore it is necessary to urinate and empty the bowels before the race.
   
   3) Why fully warm up before the race?
   Marathon as a long-distance aerobic exercise requires coordination between different body systems and organs such as the muscles, blood system, respiratory system, which can only be achieved through gradual warming up exercises to stimulate the motor central nervous system. If one's body is fully warmed up, the body temperature will rise and the coordination and elasticity of the muscles will be enhanced while the muscles' viscosity will be reduced. Otherwise, one will easily suffer from fatigue, stiff and sour muscles, short breathes, and will even find it difficult to go on. Therefore, warming up exercise can prepare the competitors for the race and help avoid accidents and body injury risks.
   
   4) How to relax before the race?
   It is common for competitors to feel nervous prior to the race. One may become tense, too excited to sit or sleep, sweaty, and may urinate more frequently. Overexcitement, tension and poor rest will result in pre-race consumption of energy, tiredness during the race and therefore affect performance. In order to relax oneself, he can try to distract his mind from the race, such as reading, playing Chess, fishing, walking or enjoying a massage.
   
   5) What shoes to wear?
   Wear rubber shoes or running shoes of proper size with foam rubber sponge inside. Such shoes offer good cushion to protect the feet from injury or fatigue. Shoes should be comfortable with some free space inside. Too small shoes will squeeze the toes resulting in blisters, while too big ones are not tight enough and the feet may get hurt easily. Running shoes about eighty percent new are the most appropriate as they are comfortable, elastic, soft while their outsole patterns are still intact to ensure sufficient friction against the ground.
   If your shoe fall off at the game beginning, please don't hurry and bend down to take your shoes for avoiding jam and tumble.
   
   6) What to drink?
   Marathon is a sweaty sport. Sweat is mainly composed of water with minerals including natrium, kalium, chlorine, magnesium, calcium, phosphor. The loss of water and salt in human body due to sweating will cause electrolyte disorder, and therefore increased sensitivity to audio and visual stimulations, and reduced adjustment ability of the body. If one drinks water only, he will actually feel thirstier. It may even lead to ¡°water intoxication¡±, which is characterized by a rise in body temperature, leg cramps and coma. Therefore, to make up for the loss of water, one should drink mineral beverage that consists of various minerals including natrium, kalium, chlorine, magnesium, calcium, and phosphor, as well as sugar, apart from water. Amateurs can take in a proper amount of sugar two hours before the race in the proportion of 1 gram per kilo's body weight to make up for energy loss. Salted boiled water with salt in the proportion of1:15 with some sugar taken during and after the race is also good countermeasure for energy loss.
   
   7) How to avoid and handle abdominal pain?
   Sudden abdominal pain during the race is usually caused by lack of sufficient warming-up exercises, or respiratory muscle convulsion due to excessive cold air inhaled and fast running speed at the beginning. When abdominal pain occurs, the participant should slow down with one hand pressing hard against the painful area. If the pain won't diminish or vanish after a short time, the participant should quit and seek medical treatment. It is vital to fully warm up prior to the race in order to prevent abdominal pain.
   
   8) How to avoid and handle leg cramps?
   Leg cramps and automatic leg muscle contraction may occur during the race, if leg muscles, in the absence of sufficient warming-up exercises, fail to adjust to the violent change from a relaxed state into a tense one. In cold weather, bare legs can experience cramps due to the cold or sweating-induced loss of salt in the body liquid. Therefore, participants should do sufficient warming-up exercise to heat up the body and pay attention to keeping the legs warm in cold weather. In case of leg cramps during the race, one should slow down until he stops and then massage or rub the cramped area. If it doesn't work, medical treatment should be sought.
   
   9) How to avoid and handle sprain in the ankle?
   Sprain in the ankle is a very common injury in the marathon race. It will result in the tearing of muscles and soft tissues like the ligament around the ankle, which will be swollen and painful with blood stasis. It may cause by lack of sufficient warming-up exercises, unskillful running method, carelessness, or other reasons such as uneven ground. The key to the prevention of sprains in the ankle is to do sufficient warming-up exercises, improve running skills, be careful during the race and strengthen the ankles through training. In the event that an ankle is sprained, one should quit the race and seek medical treatment.
   
   10) How to avoid and handle muscle strains?
   In case of muscle strains, one should quit and seek medical treatment. To avoid muscle strains, one should do sufficient warming-up exercises, paying particular attention to the lower limbs. Those of a relatively weak physique and without sufficient training should not run too fast and should avoid violent forward and backward movements of the legs. Participants are advised to quit in case of fatigue and sour muscles.
   
   11) How to handle blackouts?
   Blackouts are a temporary loss of consciousness due to insufficient blood supply to the brain. It usually lasts only a few minutes before one recovers. Symptoms like pale appearance, cold and wet limbs, cold sweat, dizziness, nausea, fast heartbeat, faint pulse, and shallow breath may occur before or during the blackout. The patient should lie on their back with legs lifting 20-30 cm up and the head lower than the lower limbs to enhance breathing. Clothes should be loosened, especially the parts around the neck. If the patient throws up, make him or her lie on the side to avoid chokes. After the patient resumes consciousness, he or she should be taken to the medical station for treatment.
   
   12) How to relax after the marathon race?
   Relaxation after the Marathon race is a process of gradual adjustment from the exercising state to a calm one. After passing the finish, participants should jog on for a few more minutes rather than coming to a halt all of a sudden, and relax the whole body. To relax the upper limbs, one can lean forward and shake the arms and shoulders repeatedly until they feel hot. To relax the lower limbs, one can lie down, lift legs up, pat, massage and shake the upper, lower and inner side of the thighs, the backside of the legs, hips, abdomen, and the sides of the waist. One can also squat down with hands holding the knees and the head looking down and then stand up in a repeated way until the spine feels hot. To relax the whole body, one can stand upright, then bend the knees with hands touching the ground, take a deep breath and hold it for a while to slowly discharge it to the abdomen. Repeat it several times and then get up and stand upright until the pulses become normal.
   
   (The basic knowledge is based on information provided by Xiamen Public Health Bureau)