As announced previously, the 2012 Genghis Khan MTB Adventure and Grassland Marathon has undergone a bit of a face-lift with a lot of previously unexplored terrain now part of the three-day event. The new courses for the Grassland Marathon (42k) and the three MTB stages have been officially confirmed and the maps can now be consulted in the respective website sections.
In addition, the official regulations for the sporting competitions have also been published now, and we advise everyone to consult these. Read the details for the running event here, and for the mountainbiking here.
The new course of the full Grassland Marathon consists of one big loop rather than twice the half marathon loop, which we believe will stimulate runners even more. Participants will go deeper into the grasslands and will enjoy some splendid scenery as they run. In some places you may encounter plenty of local cattle. Take your cameras along! The Grassland Marathon starts and finishes on tarmac road at Xiwuqi’s Cultural Square, but the rest is all offroad. The route is mainly flat but has some ondulating parts as well. The Garmin data tells us approx 400 altitude metres need to be negotiated. As counts for all offroad events, you don’t come here to beat your marathon best time. You’re here for a unique running challenge and experience.
The highly praised half marathon and 10km loops have remained unaltered this year.
The long-distance race of the 6th Genghis Khan MTB Adventure eventually totals no less than 206 kilometers, and the easier short-distance 86km. The event starts in style on Friday afternoon by heading out towards the Observatory Mountain deep into the grasslands. This traditional first-day track is great and rides smoothly: a classic in its own right. The only difference compared to previous years is the slightly longer distance of 63km as the start is set at Nadamu Arena and the finish at Cultural Square.
For those who have attended Genghis Khan before, the reason we finish the first day of the MTB stage race at Cultural Square is because the official government banquet and bonfire party at the Mongolian Yurt City is taking place on Saturday night this year. Obviously, that is also where stage 2 of the competition concludes. A totally re-designed stage that explores areas south of the impressive coal mine and the Mongolian Yurt City. There is a short but steep climb mid-stage that may inspire the most explosive of riders contesting the stage win up front.
Finally, we are happy to provide mountainbikers an additional challenge this year with the first ever century ride in GKF’s history. Stage 3 will take riders all around Xiwuqi town for a total distance of 100 km! Going east from Xiwuqi, riders will find themselves often absorbed by the green sea and enjoy “probably the most beautiful” scenery of the entire weekend. The latter counts also for the participants on the short-distance, in fact, as they will ride the Grassland Marathon loop to a large extent. Participants should be aware that stage 3 also features a few sandy and somewhat more technical spots, which in certain weather conditions may be tricky. There are also a few more hills on this stage for a total altitude gain of 850 Hm. A bit of extra spice, but of course still feasible for every level of participant. Finishing a century ride on the last day of the MTB Adventure will be an applaudible accomplishment for each single biker!
All tracks will be marked clearly via arrows and it should be impossible to get lost. Of course, hundreds of sheep, goats, horses, cows, donkeys and other cattle roam the grasslands and may on occasion bump over a marking sign. We count on participant’s sense of adventure to accept these instances should they occur.
Go to the Grassland Marathon course map
Go to the MTB Adventure course maps