Southern Cross-Island Highway Ultra Marathon evokes mixture of love and fear

Ranked as one of Taiwan’s finest high-mountain ultra marathons, the 5th Southern Cross-Island Highway Ultra Marathon got under way in the early hours of March 7th at The Bunun Cultural Museum (海端布農文物館) in Haiduan Township. Following the breathtaking route of Highway 20, the Southern Cross-Island Highway, 2564 ultra marathoners from around the globe embarked on challenging themselves to the limit. 

Though only a few hundred athletes participated in the launch of the event back in 2011, due to elated runners spreading the incredible beauty of the Southern Cross-Island Highway through word of mouth, the event has been transformed into the hottest ultra marathon event in the country. 

Despite a light drizzle that fell from the heavens at 4 o’clock in the early hours of the race day, as the starter pistol sounded to begin the race at 5 am, a 1000-person-strong human snake began to wind its way along the edge of the Hsinwulu River (新武呂溪), traversing the 78 km Southern Cross-Island Highway. During the course of the race, the outstanding beauty of the Southern Cross-Island Highway clearly left its mark on this group of “foot warriors”.

When runners found themselves engulfed in thick fog just outside the idyllic villages of Lidao (利稻) and the pyramid-shaped Motian (摩天), and then got blanketed in rain mist area near Liyuan (栗園), they were left with a sense of profound awe at the immensity of the scene. Taking part in what is truly an ultra marathon high up in the clouds, later in the day, runners were given a beautiful surprise when the sea of clouds and dense fog finally parted to reveal the brilliant blue sky.

Southern Cross-Island Highway Ultra Marathon evokes mixture of love and fear 
URL:http://www.peopo.org/news/269967

(以下是中文對照)

讓人又愛又怕的南橫超級馬拉松

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名列台灣三大高山超馬之一的第5屆南橫超級馬拉松賽，3月7日清晨五點在海端布農文物館開跑，來自世界各地2564名超跑好手，在台20線美麗的南橫公路挑戰自我的極限。首屆南橫超級馬拉松賽在2011年創辦，第一年只有數百人參加，但隨著南橫美景及競賽者的口耳相傳，已成為各地好手挑戰自我的熱門賽事。

當天清晨四點天空下起毛毛細雨，但隨著五點起跑槍響，78公里組以上超過千人的人龍，浩浩蕩蕩往沿著新武呂溪闢建的南橫公路前進。這群「勇腳們」也在過程中見識到南橫脫俗的美，在經過南橫最美麗的利稻部落和金字塔型的摩天後，濃霧罩頂，甚至在栗園附近下起點點霧雨，讓人有置身蒼茫的感受。後來美麗的雲海與迷霧中透出的藍天，更是美得令人驚喜，真是一趟漫步在雲端的雲海超馬之旅。