This Sunday is a big day for Yangshan, as the small town in Wuxi will host the first half-marathon ever to be held in a rural area in Jiangsu province.

The race, part of the 2017 Yangshan Peach Blossom Festival, is also the first of its kind authorized by the Chinese Athletic Association in the province.

Race map for the 2017 Yangshan Half Marathon. [Photo provided to China Daily]

As of Thursday, more than 3,000 people have already applied for the event, including 53 over-60-year-old runners. Some 70 percent of the participants are from Jiangsu, while the rest are from outside the province.

Stretching 21.1 kilometers, the running route will ramble across five beautiful villages, giving runners a pleasant introduction to the area’s rural landscape, idyllic towns and modern agriculture.

Peach blossom is in full bloom along the running route of the Yangshan Half Marathon in Wuxi. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The winners of the men's and women's competition will each receive 5,000 yuan ($724). The total bonus pool is as high as 40, 400 yuan.