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BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Argentina's capital Buenos Aires hosted Sunday the fifth annual Pizza Marathon over the weekend, an event that runs on calories, not kilometers.
In fact, participating requires almost no running whatsoever, except maybe to the nearest pizza parlor.
Dressed in T-shirts and shorts, more than 600 pizza fans hit at least seven different pizzerias along the city's bustling Corrientes Avenue on Saturday, eating a slice or two at each spot before, unhurriedly, ambling over to the next.
"Whatever pizzeria we visit is filled with people all day long, from 7 or 8 a.m. in the morning, when they open, until they close at 2 a.m.," Pizza Marathon co-founder and organizer Joaquin Hidalgo told Xinhua.
Seasoned participants came equipped with backpacks filled with beer or sodas, knowing that staying hydrated is the key to successfully completing a marathon.
At the end of the day, participants "choose the best pizza on Corrientes Avenue," said Hidalgo.
El Imperio de la Pizza (The Empire of Pizza) marked the starting line to the route, which took participants to a string of other pizzerias, including La Continental, La Americana, La Genova and Pin Pun, which as winner of last year's run was not officially in competition.
What makes the perfect pizza?
"Lots of mozzarella, oil -- it has to be dripping with oil -- and a crunchy crust," said marathoner Carlos Lajurain.
Past 7 p.m. (22:00 GMT) at the Obelisco, one of the city's iconic monuments, participants voted for the pizzeria with the best pizza or the best service, as well as other random categories, such as the best pizza to eat standing up and the best pizza for tourists.
Following the consumption of some 4,000 slices of pizza, the results were in: the big winner was El Imperio, which won for best pizza, best pizza to eat standing, and best pizzeria to go to with friends.
La Continental won for best service.
