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BEIJING: The marathon at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will
begin from central Tiananmen Square, one of China’s most popular
tourist spots, state media said Saturday.
Nearly 20 years after the bloody crackdown on
public protests in the square in June 1989, organizers have chosen
the spot—always under tight security—as the starting line for
the marathon, the Beijing News reported.
According to the newspaper, citing a source on
the organizing committee for the Beijing Games, the route will be
officially unveiled in February or March.
The finish line will be located in the new
Olympic stadium—known as the “Bird’s Nest” because of its
intricate design of interwoven steel—in the north of the Chinese
capital.
The women’s marathon is set to take place on
August 17, while the men will compete on August 24.
The Tiananmen Square prodemocracy movement ended
in bloodshed on June 4, 1989, when tanks crushed the demonstrations,
killing hundreds and possibly thousands of protesters.
-- AFP
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