Photo: Courtesy of organizers

Meihekou in Tongliao, Northeast China's Jilin Province hosted a half marathon on Saturday, with Gebise Lelisa Debele of Ethiopia winning the event by 1:05:53.

China's Dong Xue was the fastest woman, finishing the 21-kilometer race in 1:20:20.

Nearly 34 percent of the 8,000 participants were Meihekou locals. The oldest runner was an 81-year-old from Tongliao's neighboring city Liaoyuan.

The picturesque race course also features the Changbai Mountain Botanical Garden and Bailu Wetland, which are hot tourist attractions in Meihekou.