cancellation of half marathon no chance for china grand slam what happened to shanghai marathon

Recently, the Shanghai Marathon has undoubtedly become a hot topic among many running enthusiasts, from being excluded from the China Marathon Majors to the recentcancellation of the half marathon event.These events have raised many questions.However, with the first press conference of the Shanghai Marathon, these questions have been answered.

On August 29, the Shanghai Marathon held its first press conference, announcing that this year the half marathon category will be canceled, the number of participants in the full marathon will increase from 20,000 to 28,000, and 5,000 slots each will be reserved for the 10K and fitness run events. The organizing committee stated that this decision was made after careful consideration and analysis of runners' needs.

In response, many runners' first reaction might be to question why the organizing committee decided to cancel the half marathon. After the half marathon is canceled,how will the Shanghai Marathon cater to those runners who are not yet ready for the full marathon? Can the event's services and support keep up with the trend towards elite-level competition?Today, let me take you through the reasons behind these changes in the Shanghai Marathon~

Why did the Shanghai Marathon decide to cancel the half marathon?

In today's era of mass marathons, looking back at the development of the Shanghai Marathon, since 2012, the Shanghai International Marathon added a 10K event, making it a race with full marathon, half marathon, 10K, and fitness run categories, covering long, medium, and short distances to meet the needs of runners of all levels.

1. Increasing demand for the full marathon

From the data collected over the past few years, it is clear that the scarcity of full marathon events is much higher than that of half marathon events, and domestic runners are becoming more mature.

In the 2015 Shanghai International Marathon, there were 126,789 pre-registrations, with 48,399 for the full marathon, accounting for 38.17%, and 45,073 for the half marathon, accounting for 35.55%. In the 2016 Shanghai International Marathon, there were 153,163 pre-registrations, with 64,067 for the full marathon, accounting for 41.83%, and 54,338 for the half marathon, accounting for 35.48%.

From the pre-registration numbers, it is evident that in the past two years, the number of full marathon runners has been higher than that of half marathon runners. The proportion of full marathon registrations increased by 3.66%, while the proportion of half marathon registrations decreased by 0.07%.

2. The growth rate of half marathon finishers is lower than that of full marathon finishers

Analyzing the marathon completion data from the past two years in China, in 2015, there were 206,000 half marathon finishers and 146,000 full marathon finishers. By 2016, there were 337,000 half marathon finishers and 243,000 full marathon finishers, with a growth rate of 64% for half marathon finishers and 66% for full marathon finishers.

Canceling the half marathon and reallocating those slots to the full marathon is in line with the growing demand from runners.More and more runners are transitioning to serious runners, and more and more event organizers are creating platforms for medium and short-distance road races.

3. To become a member of the Majors, the half marathon must be canceled

Additionally, the Shanghai Marathon's decision to cancel the half marathon this year is also aimed at becoming more professional.Looking at the world's top city marathons, almost all have transitioned from focusing on participation to emphasizing professionalism.

Currently, the World Marathon Majors is interested in selecting one of China's well-known marathons as a 'candidate' for the Majors. However, given the rarity and prestige of the Majors, there can only be one 'candidate.' In other words, in the short term, only one marathon in China can successfully join the Majors.

Among the many criteria for becoming a Major, one is that the event can only have a full marathon category. In other words, the Beijing Marathon, which canceled its half marathon two years ago, already meets this requirement. If the Shanghai Marathon continues to hold both full and half marathons, it clearly does not meet the criteria.

The cancellation of the half marathon has both supporters and opponents.

Some support the decision, believing that the 'elite' trend in marathons is inevitable, and more and more runners have progressed from 'novices' to 'veterans.'

Of course, there are also opponents who believe that the half marathon is a goal for many beginner runners. Completing such a challenge in a major event can lay a better foundation for their future running journey.

The event organizers stated: 'Indeed, canceling the half marathon means that many runners may not be able to participate in the main event of the Shanghai Marathon. This is an unavoidable issue. However, the Shanghai Marathon aims to develop to a higher standard, and this is a decision we have made after careful consideration.'

Half marathon runners actually do not lack races.

In recent years, Shanghai has developed a diverse road race system. According to incomplete statistics, Shanghai hosts more than 10 half marathons annually, providing nearly 40,000 slots for half marathon runners.In comparison, full marathon events are more scarce.

Moreover, these series of events also include many 5K, 10K, and fitness runs, covering individual races, couple runs, family runs, and other diversified events, benefiting beginner runners.

The organizing committee's representative stated: 'We did not make this decision impulsively. If there were no current Shanghai Marathon series, suddenly canceling the half marathon would indeed harm the interests of runners. However, given the current situation, I believe most runners support this decision.'

Why did the Shanghai Marathon miss out on the China Marathon Majors??

2017 marks the inaugural year of the China Marathon Majors.In the marathon rankings announced a week ago,the Beijing Marathon, Guangzhou Marathon, Chongqing Marathon, and Wuhan Marathon were all selected, butthe Shanghai Marathon was not found.

As one of the few domestic marathons that have consistently received the IAAF Gold Label and the Chinese Athletics Association Gold Medal, the absence of the Shanghai Marathon has puzzled many runners—was it because the Shanghai Marathon did not meet the criteria, or was it because the Shanghai Marathon was not interested in joining such an alliance?

1. The Shanghai Marathon does not need to join for now

The representative of the Shanghai Marathon organizing committee stated that the China Marathon Majors is currently an invitation-based project, with the direction of operations seeking opinions from local sports bureaus. After communication between the Shanghai Sports Bureau and the Shanghai Marathon organizing committee, it was decided that the Shanghai Marathon does not need to join the China Marathon Majors for now.

2. Good things are not always suitable

Regarding whether the Shanghai Marathon should join the China Marathon Majors, Sun Weimin, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Sports Bureau, said:'Why do we organize the Shanghai Marathon? First, to meet demand; second, to serve urban development; third, to promote sports culture. Both the China Marathon Majors and the World Marathon Majors are excellent event organizations, but good things are not always suitable for us.'

3. Focus on professionalism and service

In the view of Sun Weimin, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Sports Bureau, the Shanghai Marathon should focus on professionalism and serving runners. He said: 'Overall, considering the current capabilities, level, and means of meeting demand of the Shanghai Marathon, we feel there is no need to join this organization for now. But whether we join or not, our goal of serving runners will not change.'