2018 first half marathon review which races did you run

With the conclusion of the Lanzhou Marathon in June, the highly anticipated marathon events of the first half of 2018 have also come to an end. During this half-year period, major marathons were held as scheduled, including the severe penalties for substitute runners at the Xiamen Marathon, the exciting duels at the Tokyo, Boston, and London Marathons, the same-day PK of the Wuxi, Chongqing, Xuzhou, and Zhengkai Marathons, and the commemorative significance of the first Wenchuan Marathon...

Today, let's follow the pen of Wuyan Zu to review the marathon events, people, and stories of the first half of 2018~

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The first shot of 2018, Xiamen Marathon penalizes 51 people

On January 7, the 2018 Xiamen Marathon kicked off, marking the first shot of the 2018 season. After the race, Xiamen Marathon issued the first penalty notice of the year for substitute runners. Based on evidence from race supervisors, referee reports, timing chip data, race images, and photos, the organizing committee reviewed and penalized 51 participants.

For transferring his race number, Sun was disqualified from the race, had his results nullified, and was banned for life from the Xiamen Marathon. For completing the race in relay format, Men was disqualified and banned from the Xiamen Marathon for two years.

Participants who started in non-designated areas were disqualified and banned from the 2019 Xiamen Marathon.

The Xiamen Marathon imposed the strictest penalties on 'substitute running,' setting an example for other domestic events and showing progress in domestic races. Hopefully, these penalties will reduce or even eliminate the occurrence of 'substitute running' in domestic races.

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Wuxi, Chongqing, Xuzhou, and Zhengkai Marathons, same-day PK

March 25 was a special day for the 2018 marathon community. The Wuxi Marathon, Chongqing Marathon, Xuzhou Marathon, and Zhengkai Marathon all took place on the same day, becoming a hot topic among runners.

If we divide the marathon season into the first and second halves of the year, the Wuxi Marathon is undoubtedly one of the most watched events in the first half. In just five years, the Wuxi Marathon has witnessed the entire journey of China's marathon movement from its infancy to its explosion, growing from an unknown event to a highly reputable and popular top-tier domestic marathon.

The Xuzhou Marathon is particularly special this year. It will be a three-in-one event: the 2018 Xuzhou International Marathon, the National Marathon Championship (Xuzhou Station), and the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games Marathon Trials. This is the only trial site for the Jakarta Asian Games Marathon in China, attracting all top domestic athletes, making it the highest level of competition in the country.

The Chongqing Marathon has been held for seven years, and for six consecutive years, it has been awarded the Chinese Athletics Association's Gold Label Marathon. It is also an IAAF Gold Label event and a member of the China Marathon Majors. This year, the Chongqing Marathon attracted participants from over 30 countries, with a total of 30,000 runners.

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Is there a 'Spring Festival travel rush' for marathons in China?

Many marathon enthusiasts must have a deep impression of the weekend of April 14-15.Because on this weekend, there were over 50 running events with more than 250,000 participants, leaving behind the astonishing data of the 2018 'Marathon Spring Festival travel rush.'

On April 14 and 15, there were over 50 running events nationwide. What does this mean? Even excluding special races like trail runs, orienteering, relay races, and vertical runs, there were still 28 full marathons, half marathons, and 10K races on April 15 alone, according to various marathon event calendars.

Many runners called this weekend the 'crazy marathon weekend,' and April 15 was even jokingly referred to as China's 'Spring Festival travel rush day' for marathons.Some runners even joked, 'With so many races happening at the same time, it feels like there aren't enough runners.'

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The first Wenchuan Marathon, worth remembering

On May 13, 2018, the first Wenchuan Marathon started in Ailifang, Yingxiu Town, Wenchuan County.

In Wenchuan, the significance of holding a marathon goes beyond the event itself. At this moment, sports are endowed with new meaning. Wenchuan is a place of extraordinary significance, having been devastated by an earthquake ten years ago. Ten years later, the resilient people of Wenchuan have not been defeated by the disaster. With nationwide support, they have rebuilt their homes, and the new Wenchuan has risen from the ashes.

Notably, the Wenchuan Marathon featured a silent section in the 1.5-kilometer-long Xuankou Tunnel. Each runner picked up a chrysanthemum at the tunnel entrance, ran silently, and placed the flower in the memorial area inside the tunnel for a moment of silence, expressing their remembrance for the deceased and respect for life. The only sound during this 1.5-kilometer stretch was the sound of footsteps, and many runners found this gesture to be highly significant.

As the first Wenchuan Marathon coincided with the tenth anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake, Wenchuan presented its ten-year reconstruction achievements to the nation in this way. Over the past ten years, Wenchuan has embodied the marathon spirit of gratitude and progress, writing a hymn of life with confidence, perseverance, and unwavering determination.

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Dalian Marathon, strictest penalties for elite runners

On May 18, the Dalian Marathon organizing committee issued a penalty notice for 29 participants, disqualifying them and banning them from the Dalian Marathon for two years.

Notably, many of the disqualified participants were elite domestic runners who could finish under 2:30, including the half-marathon men's champion Xu Wang, the domestic men's full marathon champion Sun Jiahui, and last year's domestic men's full marathon champion Li Peng.

The penalty list revealed that elite runners like Li Peng were assigned to start in Zone D because they used sponsor entries. According to the Dalian Marathon competition rules, the starting order is based on invited, registered athletes, and public runners (sorted by personal best times), with sponsor entries placed in Zone D.

On race day, these elite runners crossed into Zone A before the start, violating the competition rules, which state that runners who do not start in the designated order will be disqualified and banned from the Dalian International Marathon for two years, leading to the penalties for these 29 runners.

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Lanzhou Marathon, a battle of the gods

On June 10,the highly anticipated 2018 Lanzhou International Marathon kicked off. With its 'double gold' title, 40,000 runners, a battle of the gods, a mysterious medal, and rave reviews, the Lanzhou Marathon undoubtedly became the final celebration of the first half of the year for the running community.

The 2018 Lanzhou International Marathon is the seventh IAAF Gold Label event in China and also a Gold Label event by the Chinese Athletics Association. With its 'double gold' title, the 2018 Lanzhou Marathon was highly anticipated, with a full marathon acceptance rate of 33.55% and a half marathon acceptance rate of only 19.79%, highlighting its popularity. Ultimately, 40,000 runners were lucky enough to secure a spot.

This year's Lanzhou Marathon attracted many famous athletes, including 11 male invited runners with personal bests under 2:10 and 9 female runners with personal bests under 2:30. Top domestic athletes included Guan Yousheng, Qiu Wangdong, He Yinli, and Jiao Anjing.

In the end, Ethiopian runner Walderreg won the men's race in 2:11:00, successfully defending his title and earning $20,000, marking the first time in Lanzhou Marathon history that a champion has defended their title. In the domestic competition, defending champion Guan Yousheng withdrew early due to injury, and Qiu Wangdong won the domestic men's race. In the women's race, last year's champion He Yinli successfully defended her title, with Jiao Anjing finishing second.

The design of the medal was kept secret until race day. The mysterious medal was finally unveiled, featuring a 'double gold double heart' design, with two medals nested within each other, showcasing creativity and impressiveness.

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Tokyo, Boston, and London Marathons, spectacular events

On February 25, the 2018 Tokyo Marathon kicked off. As the first World Marathon Major of the new season, the focus was on whether Kipchoge could break the world record and whether Japanese runners could achieve good results. In the end, Kenya's Chumba won the men's race in 2:05:30. Defending champion Kipchoge withdrew midway. In the women's race, Dibaba won in 2:19:51, missing the women's course record by 4 seconds.

Japan's top runner Yuta Shitara finished in 2:06:11, breaking the Japanese marathon record. Japanese runners occupied six of the top ten spots in the Tokyo Marathon, all finishing under 2:09.

On the evening of April 16, the 2018 Boston Marathon started in cold and rainy conditions. It was the coldest race day in 30 years, but it produced many surprises. Japan's famous 'citizen runner' Yuki Kawauchi won the men's race, becoming the first Japanese winner in 31 years. In the women's race, American runner Des Linden won, becoming the first American winner in 33 years.

On April 22, the 2018 London Marathon started, with Queen Elizabeth II firing the starting gun from Windsor Castle. In the end, Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge won the men's race in 2:04:27, and Kenya's 'long-distance queen' Vivian Cheruiyot won the women's race in 2:18:30. British star Mo Farah finished third in 2:06:32, setting a new personal best and a new British national record.

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Amateur marathons, doping scandals

On June 21, the China Anti-Doping Agency updated its website with a batch of violations, revealing another doping incident involving a marathon runner. Cao Fengying, the third-place finisher in the women's full marathon at the 2018 Yuan'an Field Marathon, tested positive for strychnine.

Cao Fengying, from Qinhuangdao, Hebei, was a former professional race walker who retired and worked in a pharmacy. She started running in 2012. In 2016, she ranked first in the women's 40-44 age group, with an impressive full marathon personal best of 3:02, earning her the title of Qinhuangdao's top female marathon runner.

On January 9, 2018, the Chinese Athletics Association announced a doping violation in marathon running, banning 2017 National Games women's marathon champion Wang Jiali for eight years.

Similarly, on January 5, marathon goddess Li Wenjie was found guilty of doping violations, causing a stir in the running community. Former provincial marathon team assistant coach Hou Yanmin also attracted widespread attention.

When performance and prize money are linked, doping inevitably appears in amateur marathons. Some top runners may take risks. Currently, the supervision of amateur runners' 'cheating' needs improvement, and the doping testing mechanism for amateur races is not yet sound.

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Life is no small matter, runner safety is paramount

On May 13, as the 2018 Great Wall Marathon was about to end, a runner collapsed at the finish line. Medical staff found the runner exhausted and briefly unconscious. The initial diagnosis was suspected myocardial infarction, and the runner had a history of arrhythmia.

To save the runner's life, the staff chose to use a rescue helicopter for emergency transport to the hospital, taking only 18 minutes. Life is no small matter. Although deploying a helicopter is costly, it saved a life, and this action deserves praise.

On April 22, during the Yangzhou Jianzhen Half Marathon, a female runner collapsed unconscious. According to eyewitnesses, the woman collapsed at the 6-kilometer mark. Four passing runners trained in AHA (American Heart Association) first aid helped, first dispersing the crowd, then checking the runner's consciousness, and performing CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), gaining the crucial 4 minutes for cardiac rescue. Medical staff arrived, and the woman was out of danger.

In recent years, sudden death incidents in Chinese marathons have been on the rise. Last year alone, the media reported six such incidents, with vibrant lives lost.

The AHA first aid guidelines always encourage non-professionals to receive first aid training, so they can perform relevant rescues before the arrival of an ambulance or professionals. Because not every rescue situation has medical professionals nearby, and a few minutes' delay could cost a life.

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