A beer carnival starts in Baotou on June 23, to greet marathon runners and visitors from home and abroad. [Photo/Baotou Daily]

Marathon runners who participated in the recent race in Baotou on June 23, sampled some of the city's wonderful variety of attractions while they were there.

The athletes wandered the alleyways of the city, located in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, checking out the food, museums and live music venues on offer.

One runner from Chengdu said that he just had to visit Hengshu Street, as it was known locally for being as vibrant as Kuanzhai Alley, a famous food street in his city.

Another runner from Beijing and her family visited Saikhantal, which is the largest urban grassland in Asia, for some barbecue food and to explore the city's cultural heritage.

Others, encouraged by the city's warmth towards runners, raved about the local food and said they would like to return to Baotou for a longer stay.