Running from hot to cold

"There are many challenges in life, sometimes people don't have money and that is why we work and train hard to come to China," she said.

Although Calonnie says she finds something pure and fundamental in running, she is one of many middle-tier East African professional runners touring China's smaller races in the hope of providing a better life for her family. The 60,000 yuan ($8,700) prize money awarded for winning the Urumqi race is not to be shrugged at.

Her determination and individualism is admirable - she trains alone and moved to Kenya, far from her home and family, to improve her chances of success.

"I am an individual. I train by myself, rent my own house. There are many people training in Kenya and if you follow them you learn how to train, how to do intervals, how to do fartleks (a training method that blends continuous training with interval training)."

Calonnie has been running since 2011, but despite rigorous training and competing in more races than she can remember, this winter marathon in the Nanshan Mountains posed a unique set of challenges.