The Nong’an Taipingchi Ice and Snow half-marathon in Jilin Province, China, recently attracted attention on social media after announcing that the top prize for the event would be a cow.
Source: Yang Song on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only
In addition to the cow, other unique prizes, such as wild fish, chickens, ducks, rice, and whole wheat flour, will be awarded to the top 50 finishers.
According to local media reports, the event features two categories: a half-marathon and a five-kilometre health run.
The champion of the half-marathon will have the option to take home a cow or exchange it for 6,000 yuan (approximately S$1,000) in cash.
Meanwhile, the runner-up will receive cash, while the third-place finisher will take home wild fish.
Those finishing in fourth to 20th place will receive cash along with chickens or ducks, while finishers in 30th to 50th place will receive 10kg of rice or whole wheat flour.
Source: Joaquín Corbalán on Canva, for illustration purposes only
A staff member from the event’s organising committee explained that these prizes not only add a fun element to the event but also highlight local agricultural products.
“Registration has been very enthusiastic, and people are excited about this special reward,” the staff member added.
As expected, the half-marathon’s livestock prizes sparked reactions from netizens.
“Winning and taking home a cow would feel incredibly rewarding and certainly make you the centre of attention on social media,” one commenter noted.
While some praised the promotion of local culture, others raised concerns about how non-local winners would manage to transport their prizes.
Livestock prizes have, in fact, become a growing trend in China in recent years.
In 2023, the Guizhou “Village Super” Football League finals awarded chickens, geese, sheep, pigs, and cattle as prizes.
More recently, in November 2024, the Anhui Lu’an Marathon gave live geese to 18 winners.
Also read: Father in China insist on running full 42km marathon with young son, gets stopped by police
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Featured image adapted from TommL on Canva and ChiemSeherin on Canva, for illustration purposes only.
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