Hainan province was hosting the latest leg of the China forest marathon series. The Xinglong National park on China's Southern island would see more than 500 runners gather for a marathon that gets competitors closer to nature.

China Forest Marathon held in Hainan

Before the race, some experienced runners lead the participants through a series of warm-up routines and stretches.

There are three different competitions -- a 21-k race, which is equivalent to a half-marathon, a 12-k run, and shorter 7-k jaunt, which is catered for parents to participate with their children. Xinglong National Park, has many tropical plants, allowing runners to compete in an amazing atmosphere.

Yang Xinxiang, seemed to enjoy the conditions the most, as he would outpace everyone to win the half marathon title in 1 hour 27 minutes 39 seconds.

"This result is not good for me, and it was not my best result. I am continuing to run in order to recover from my injury, but I did not improve on my best time. However I really enjoy this run, and I think it is cool to run through the forest," said Yang.

"Our event aims to combine sports, marathon running and the beauty of our national forests. We offer a fantastic running environment to the participants," said Meilong Sports vice president Wang Yan.