The 2014 IAAF World Race Walking Cup will be held in Taicang from May 3-4. A news conference was held on Jan 12 at the General Administration of Sport of China to reveal the mascot for the race and the image ambassador, Chen Ding, a walking champion for the 2012 Olympics.

The IAAF World Race Walking Cup, with a history of 53 years and held every two years, will take place in China for the second time. Beijing hosted the first event in China in 1995. The race consists of five events and is divided into a senior group and youth group. The 2-km race track, located on East Shanghai Road, is a two-way, six-lane circular track. The spectator area will be separated from the walking area for safety concerns. The walking race will be broadcast live by CCTV5.

On January 23, Taicang will hold a 100-day countdown to the 2014 IAAF World Race Walking Cup and launch an official website for the race (Tcsports2014@163.org). In addition, the city will hold a walking activity for citizens led by Chen Ding.

Taicang, as the host of 2014 World Race Walking Cup, has a well developed sports industry. It is one of the first national advanced sports counties and has hosted a number of international sporting events. Taicang citizens show deep passion for sports, especially for walking. They will actively participate in the walking activity. In addition, Taicang has set up a walking team. Its members won the women’s 20km walking championship in the 2013 National Games in Jiangsu.

The 2014 World Race Walking Cup combines public walking and competitive sports. It also promotes China’s competitive sports and boosts the development of the sports industry.