The Leopard Cat Marathon at Sun Moon Lake recorded 4,200 finishers Saturday beneath cloudy skies, according to chip-timing data organizers posted at the Shuishe visitor center. Entry caps held at 4,500 after forestry officials flagged habitat corridors used by leopard cats near the 29-kilometer ridge segment.
Race directors routed the full marathon away from a mudslide-prone switchback closed since spring. Half-marathon runners stayed on lakeside paths with forestry volunteers stationed every two kilometers to stop littering near stream inlets.
Medical tents treated 38 runners for cramps and two for mild hypothermia when drizzle lowered temperatures around noon. Blood donation buses parked at the finish partnered with Taiwan Blood Services Foundation to collect 186 units, including 22 first-time donors.
Local hotels reported Saturday night occupancy near 92 percent, boosted by runners’ families. Next year’s lottery opens in January with the same cap unless trail repairs finish early.