See how people in a small county in North China's Hebei province inspire marathon runners' morale: A group of drummers beat traditional drums along the race course in Zhengding county to encourage marathon runners on Sunday.

The folk custom originates from a legend that Zhao Zilong, a local military general during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), always encouraged high morale in his soldiers through drum beats - thanks to which, the soldiers could always win a battle.

Since then, the drums have been a great morale booster for locals to complete challenging tasks. In modern times, the drums are played on festive occasions, such as weddings and New Year gatherings.