Marathon runners put endurance to the test again

Shanghai announcement

On Nov 3, three days before the Beijing Marathon, the Shanghai Marathon Organizing Committee announced that this year's race would be held at 7 am on Nov 27. The number of participants was set at 18,000.

Competitors must be Shanghai permanent residents — those taking part in the Beijing Marathon also had to be permanent residents in the capital.

Industry insiders said staging the Beijing Marathon is a promising sign that more marathons are returning nationwide.

In Zhejiang province, the Hangzhou Marathon is scheduled to start at 7:30 am on Sunday. A week later in Fujian province, the Xiamen Marathon is also due to begin at 7:30 am.

Zhao Fuming, director of the Beijing Marathon Association, said long-distance running is a highly popular sport with widespread participation. Races of 5 km, 10 km, half-marathons and marathons are all available to the public.

Taking the Beijing Marathon as an example, Zhao said that in addition to the 30,000 competitors in the race, tens of thousands of spectators and volunteers lined the course.

"The event allows the public to interact positively and joyously with the capital, highlighting the city's diverse aspects and vitality, which is essential. To some degree, it's not the runners who need marathons, but society," Zhao said.

"Only when marathon competitions return, can we sense confidence from the authorities — providing encouragement for more people to take up sports."

Three days after the Beijing Marathon, Wang, the visually impaired runner, posted nine photos on social media of roads along the course lined with ginkgo trees — their golden leaves perfectly matching the dazzling gold of his race medal.

Wang, who finished with a time of 4 hours 57 minutes, sensed the countless ginkgo leaves falling during the race to carpet the capital's roads.

This is one of the reasons the Beijing Marathon is held in autumn — arguably the most beautiful season in the city.