A total of 3,000 runners will run on Nanjing's city wall that has a history of more than 650 years.[Photo provided to China Daily]

A marathon that brings participants closer to Nanjing's city wall from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) period will be held on Oct 20.

The Nanjing Qinhuai City Wall Marathon is jointly hosted by the Chinese Athletics Association and Nanjing's sports, culture and tourism authorities.

A total of 3,000 runners will run on the ancient wall that has a history of more than 650 years.

The local government is aiming to take advantage of the marathon to promote local culture and tourism to the public.

Participants will also be able to see the Qinhuai River and celebrity residences and get acquainted with local food and traditional handcrafts during the run.

In addition to the marathon, five running routes featuring local gardens, intangible heritage and natural landscapes will be developed to better see the city.