Day 57 - Great Wall and Beijing, China

David, lost on another random Chinese road, tries to get a gps signal.

Whether it was passing under the Great Wall of China or passing through the great wall of smog, each Blue Planet Run team member got to experience a little bit of the local Chinese environment.

Jason Loutitt ran above and beyond the normal 10 miles today, covering 23 miles to the Badaling section of the Great Wall. He wasn’t entirely alone, however — Emmanuel Kibet joined him for the last 8 miles before the two exchanged the baton. The Badaling Great Wall is atop a steep mountain pass and overflows with tourists, as it is one of only four places for tourists to visit the Great Wall. The tourists smiled broadly and waved as the runners passed by. One group even mistook Dot Helling for an Olympic athlete (did they know about her running the Olympic torch in Lake Placid in 1980?) and took pictures with her while she was waiting for the rest of Team Silver. Team Silver had an evening exchange with Team Blue at the historic Tiananmen Square.One Blue Planet Run team member who experienced the other, less historic side of China was Sean Harrington, who had some difficulty running through the thick smog. But Sean persevered, completing his leg of the Run in just 67 minutes.
The final exchange point in China was located on a boat dock at the Yellow Sea. The event was bittersweet and the emotions mixed as the runners prepared to leave China. Nevertheless, they are extremely excited to get to Japan tomorrow!

Taeko speeds through a busy village.