Want to quickly experience the charm of Beijing? Start with the Beijing Marathon!

With over 3,000 years of history as a city and more than 850 years as the capital of China, Beijing offers a wealth of attractions. From the Forbidden City, hailed as the 'first of the world's five great palaces,' to the Summer Palace, known as the 'Royal Garden Museum,' and the Badaling Great Wall, one of the 'Nine Fortresses of the World,' it would take a considerable amount of time to fully appreciate the city's allure.

However, if you run the Beijing Marathon, traversing the 42.195 km course through Dongcheng, Xicheng, Haidian, and Chaoyang districts, you can quickly get a taste of Beijing's charm.

As the oldest marathon event in China, the Beijing Marathon has become a prestigious honor hall for elite runners, thanks to 37 years of dedicated development.

1. An IAAF-certified, AIMS-registered IAAF Gold Label race.

2. The most market-oriented, largest, and most representative single event of the Chinese Athletics Association, which has developed into a traditional sports event with international influence.

3. Awarded the IAAF Road Race Gold Label for ten consecutive years since 2008.

Things you should know about the Beijing Marathon

The extraordinary experience of starting at Tiananmen Square

This year's starting point is located at the center of Beijing, Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square can accommodate 1 million people for grand gatherings. The Monument to the People's Heroes and the solemn Chairman Mao Memorial Hall stand in the center, flanked by the Working People's Cultural Palace and Zhongshan Park, forming a unified whole with Tiananmen. In 1986, Tiananmen Square was named one of the 'Sixteen Views of Beijing,' with the scenic name 'Tianan Liri.' Starting here will undoubtedly be an extraordinary experience for every runner!

The Beijing Marathon leads the 'Full Marathon Era'

Since the Beijing Marathon first established a full marathon event in 2015, it has pioneered the path of professional and specialized city marathons. Analysis of registration data shows that since entering the 'Full Marathon Era,' the overall level of participants has significantly improved.

'Double Grand Slam' Marathon

As a high-level elite marathon event, the Beijing Marathon has always been a leader among domestic marathons. Since 2015, the competitive level of the 'Beijing Marathon' has significantly increased. By 2016, the overall level of participants had greatly improved, with a completion rate of 95.56%, reaching the standard of top international marathons.

In 2017, the 'Asian Marathon Grand Slam' initiated by the Asian Athletics Association and the Chinese Athletics Association, and the 'China Marathon Grand Slam' initiated by the Chinese Athletics Association, both designated the Beijing Marathon as the first points race.

First introduction of anti-cheating wristbands

To eliminate 'substitute running' and 'bandit running,' and to create a pure and fair competition environment for all participants, this year's Beijing Marathon introduced anti-cheating wristbands for the first time. These wristbands are custom-made according to international top event standards, durable, not easily lost, lightweight, breathable, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing, serving as an exclusive mark for this year's Beijing Marathon participants.

Witnessing Olympic grandeur at the finish line

The finish line arch is set on Tianchen Road, also known as the Scenic Avenue. To the left front of the course is the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, the venue for the 2008 Olympics. To the right front are the National Indoor Stadium and the Water Cube, also venues for the 2008 Olympics. This finish line arch, along with the starting arch at Tiananmen Square, both lie on Beijing's central axis.

Most wins by a male runner – Hu Gangjun

In the 13th Beijing Marathon held in 1993, Inner Mongolia runner Hu Gangjun won with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 57 seconds. In 1994, Hu Gangjun defended his title with an excellent time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 56 seconds. In 1997, Hu Gangjun won the men's title for the third time with an excellent time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 18 seconds, becoming the first Chinese athlete to run under 2 hours and 10 minutes, and the only male athlete to win the Beijing Marathon three times to date.

Most wins by a female runner – Sun Yingjie

Sun Yingjie not only won four consecutive titles from 2002 to 2005 but also set the women's event record of 2:19:39 in 2003.Additionally, she ran under 2 hours and 25 minutes in all four editions, holding four of the top five women's times in the Beijing Marathon. In 2004, she earned a $100,000 appearance fee for participating in the London Marathon.

National marathon records set at the Beijing Marathon

The national men's marathon record was set by Ren Longyun at the 2007 Beijing Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 15 seconds, breaking Hu Gangjun's 1997 national record by 1 minute and 3 seconds. Hu Gangjun's junior, Inner Mongolia runner Han Gang, finished third with a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 56 seconds, also breaking the national record. The national women's marathon record was set by Sun Yingjie at the 2003 Beijing Marathon with a time of 2:19:39, which is also the women's event record.