简体中文
More than 30,000
fitness enthusiasts gathered at the Chinese capital city to attend the Beijing International Marathon, which kicked off on Sunday early morning under brilliantly sunny skies.
With starting line still being in the famous Tiananmen Square and finishing at the Olympic Park in the north, the 42.195-km race began at 7:30 a.m. BJT to avoid hot temperatures.
Runners take part in the 2017 Beijing Marathon on Sunday morning, Sept 17, 2017. /VCG Photo
Good weather and ideal road conditions turned catalyst for runners to post their good times. Moroccan athlete Salah Eddine Bounasr came out on top for the men’s marathon with a time of 2:11:09. Coming in second place was 30-year-old Girmay Birhanu Gebru from Ethiopia, also crowned at the same event back in 2014. Ethiopian athletes who had won women’s race in the past three editions of Beijing Marathon continued to maintain such dominance with Beyene claiming the first place for women's team at 2:27:43 for this year.
Salah Eddine Bounasr from Morocco celebrates after winning the first place for the men's team in Beijing, Sept 17, 2017. /VCG Photo
Organized by China Sporting Goods Federation, the Beijing Marathon Expo was held along with the game at China National Convention Center, where sponsors brought some of the most popular sporting gears and products for runners to select. Meanwhile, veteran runners donated some of their memorabilia collected many years ago, and these collections were also on display at the Expo.
The number of runners keeps rising compared to previous years as more and more people in China pay attention to keeping fit. With as many as 30,000 runners from 33 countries and regions taking part, the route of this year’s event has been adjusted in order to make the course flatter, encouraging more runners to join.
Runners take part in the 2017 Beijing Marathon on Sunday morning, Sept. 17, 2017. /VCG Photo
First held in 1981, the Beijing Marathon now has become a quality field for the 37th edition of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race, one of three marathons in China to receive the distinction – along with the Xiamen Marathon and Shanghai Marathon.
More importantly, Beijing Marathon is considered as the opening leg of the new Asian Premier Marathon (APM) series. After the Beijing race, the series will continue its inaugural season in Lebanon at the Beirut Marathon in November, followed by the Seoul Marathon in March before returning to the Chinese capital to conclude at the 2018 Beijing Marathon.
Runners and a dog take part in the 2017 Beijing Marathon on Sunday morning, Sept. 17, 2017. /VCG Photo
According to the Chinese Athletic Association (CAA), there were nearly 400 full and half marathon races held in China in 2016, attracting around 2.8 million participants in total. And for this year, 2017 Beijing Marathon has developed into the most influential, largest mass-participation commercial running event in China.
(CGTN)
