The 2013 Taroko Gorge International Marathon was held on the morning of November 2, 2013, bringing 12,000 participants to the Central Cross-Island Highway, which had been cleared for the event. Lin Tzu-ling, Administrative Deputy of the Ministry of the Interior, and Tsao Erh-Chang, Chair of the Chinese Taipei Road Running Association fired the starting pistols and cheered for the runners. 

There was a total of 496 runners from 25 countries participating in this year’s marathon. Even before 6 a.m., many runners had already begun to do warm-ups at Taroko. Aerobic teachers were provided for the event as well to lead in aerobics and warm-up exercises. After the starting gun was fired at 7 a.m., 12,000 runners formed a long and magnificent queue on the highway. 

Kenyan runner Emauel Plilan Samal took first place in the fierce race with a time of 1 hour 7 minutes and 58 seconds in the men’s division, while Kenyan runner Jane Jerono Rotich took first place in the women’s division with a time of 1 hour 18 minute 59 seconds. The event ended in a success.