At 7 a.m. on November 18, the 2018 Shanghai International Marathon will kick off. This marathon features three main events: the marathon, a 10-kilometer run, and a fitness run, with a total of 38,000 participants. The Shanghai International Marathon, now in its 23rd edition, has become a must-run event for runners each year due to its rich course heritage and warm event services, earning it the status of a Gold Label race by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

Shanghai is a city that embraces diversity, featuring both rapid modernization and a deep cultural heritage. In this most diverse city in China, you can see futuristic skyscrapers and, just across the river, historical landmarks filled with stories of the past.

11On November 18, let's follow the Shanghai Marathon and experience the blend of historical relics and modern skyscrapers in this most diverse city in China.

Run the Shanghai Marathon and feel the charm of the Magic City.

Since the 1970s, Shanghai has held an annual New Year's citizen long-distance run. In the early 1980s, Shanghai and the Chinese Athletics Association began hosting an annual national marathon. By the mid-1980s, the Shanghai Marathon had evolved into an international event with participants from around the world.

Since 1996, the Shanghai International Marathon has gradually developed into a traditional event with international influence and has become one of the most representative and attractive marathon road races in China.

With a history of 22 years, the Shanghai Marathon is one of the oldest marathon events in China.From the bustling and mysterious ten-mile foreign settlement to the grand and magnificent riverside, experience the charm of the Magic City over 42.195 kilometers. The Shanghai Marathon showcases Shanghai's characteristic of embracing diversity, featuring international standards of event organization and the unique charm of the Magic City.

Why does everyone love running the Shanghai Marathon?

Feel the changes in Shanghai along the race route.

The Shanghai Marathon route passes by iconic landmarks such as the Bund, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, Jing'an Temple, Huaihai Road, Xintiandi, Xuhui Riverside, and Shanghai Stadium. Runners will experience the journey from the radiant Bund to the bustling Nanjing Road, from the historic Jing'an Temple to the romantic Huaihai Road, and from the vibrant Xintiandi to the serene and elegant Xuhui Riverside....

This is the most Shanghai-style 42.195-kilometer route in China, allowing you to experience the rise of a city and feel the historical changes in Shanghai over the years through a marathon.

High-standard Shanghai Marathon Expo.

The Shanghai Marathon Expo is the best in China in terms of organization quality, efficiency, and the richness of exhibitors. Thanks to Shanghai's excellent exhibition facilities, the Expo is world-class in terms of hardware. Years of accumulated experience have made the entire Expo scientifically and reasonably organized in terms of material collection and crowd flow. The carefully selected high-quality exhibitors make the Expo a true festival for runners and a shopping battlefield. This year, the Expo will adopt a paperless material collection process, allowing participants to collect their items with just their ID cards.

An easy PB course.

For many runners, the Shanghai Marathon course is their 'lucky ground,' where many achieve their personal best (PB) times. The race takes place in late autumn, with an average temperature of 10°C-18°C, making the weather humid and suitable for running. After a summer of hard training and early autumn races, most runners are in their best marathon condition of the year during the Shanghai Marathon.

The Shanghai Marathon course starts narrow and widens later, which, although seemingly unreasonable, actually helps to better unleash the runners' potential during the race.Most runners start the first 5 kilometers of the Shanghai Marathon at a relatively 'slower' pace, which helps prevent early burnout due to the race atmosphere. As the crowd disperses, runners gradually find their rhythm, and the course opens up. With adequate preparation, achieving a PB comes naturally.

The winding course has been straightened.

In previous years, the return sections of Longteng Bridge and Riverside Road in the second half of the Shanghai Marathon were considered the most challenging parts of the course. This year, the second half of the course has undergone the most significant change in the past five years, with the removal of the Longhua Port Bridge and the first half of Ruining Road and Longteng Avenue. Instead, the course now goes directly from Yunjin Road to the newly built southern section of Longteng Avenue, extending to the Xupu Bridge. The new course reduces the number of return sections but adds two bridges, presenting both challenges and opportunities for runners.

An extraordinary race experience.

From pre-race material collection to race check-in, from the 42-kilometer race experience to the 43rd kilometer after finishing, the Shanghai International Marathon demonstrates a level of detail and humanity rarely seen in domestic marathon events. Participants can fully immerse themselves in the race atmosphere without worrying about issues like ill-fitting T-shirts, finding their starting zone, or being unable to leave the finish area.

This year, the functionality of the aid stations has been further enhanced, with a packet of salt tablets included in the race pack. In addition to providing drinking water and sports drinks, the aid stations also offer delicious food supplies. In the later stages of the race, there are even dedicated personnel to give you massages and foam rollers are prepared for you!

Top-notch pacer team.

Pacers, who were once a privilege only for elite runners, have now become a dazzling and attractive feature of marathon races. Today, pacers are one of the most appealing aspects of the Shanghai Marathon. After a summer of intense training, these enthusiastic pacers will provide the best pacing experience for runners on the Shanghai Marathon course.

A grand event for everyone.

This year, runners who did not get a spot in the race can still participate in the Shanghai Marathon in other ways. On race day, Five-Star Sports will broadcast the 'I Talk About the Shanghai Marathon on Five-Star' event, where you might see your friends and family, along with many marathon enthusiasts, commentating on the race in the Five-Star Sports studio.

Every year, the Shanghai Marathon is a city-wide celebration. Many citizens come to cheer you on along the course, including many of Shanghai's aunts and uncles. There will be 20 music stations along the course, and the Shanghai Marathon collaborates with various high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools to bring cheerleading squads, drum bands, symphony orchestras, and other bands to the race route to cheer on the runners.

The sense of ceremony at the finish line.

Imagine sprinting onto the track at the stadium for the final stretch of the race and crossing the symbolic finish arch in style. Since two years ago, the Shanghai Marathon has set the finish line on the inner track of Shanghai Stadium, significantly enhancing the sense of ceremony at the finish line.

Star runners by your side.

The dazzling Shanghai Marathon has never lacked the presence of celebrities. From the former 'sports talent student' Han Han to Shanghai speed representative Liu Xiang, from 'Kenya Xu' Chen Tai Xu Haoying to energetic girl Chen Yihan, the Shanghai Marathon is undoubtedly the most star-studded marathon in China.

What changes are there in this year's Shanghai Marathon?

The winding course has been straightened.

In previous years, the return sections of Longteng Bridge and Riverside Road in the second half of the Shanghai Marathon were considered the most challenging parts of the course.This year, the second half of the Shanghai Marathon course has undergone the most significant change in the past five years, with the removal of the Longhua Port Bridge and the first half of Ruining Road and Longteng Avenue, reducing the number of return sections.

New Blue Line added.

The Blue Line has always been a standard service for international-level events. For runners, following the Blue Line ensures they won't run more than 43 kilometers, bringing them closer to their PB.Following the successful trial at the Shanghai International Half Marathon, this year's Shanghai Marathon course also features the Blue Line, marking the first time a domestic marathon has provided a blue shortest-distance running line for participants.

Paperless material collection.

The Shanghai Marathon Expo is the best in China in terms of organization quality, efficiency, and the richness of exhibitors.This year, the Shanghai Marathon Expo will adopt a paperless material collection process, allowing participants to collect their items with just their ID cards, making the process more environmentally friendly and simplifying the material collection process.

It should be noted that due to road closures for the Tour de France China race, the material collection time for the Shanghai Marathon has been adjusted. Material collection will be suspended on the morning of the 17th, with the collection time changed to 12:30-21:30 on that day. The collection time on the 15th and 16th will be extended by one hour.

You can also commentate on the Shanghai Marathon.

This year, runners who did not get a spot in the race can participate in the Five-Star Sports commentator event. Selected participants will have the opportunity to appear in the Five-Star Sports studio on race day to commentate on the race with many marathon enthusiasts.

Although the Shanghai Marathon has been continuously improving by learning from other major events, some things remain unchanged.

Thoughtful event services.

From pre-race material collection to race check-in, from the 42-kilometer race experience to the 43rd kilometer after finishing, the Shanghai International Marathon demonstrates a level of detail and humanity rarely seen in domestic marathon events.Participants can fully immerse themselves in the race atmosphere.

Enthusiastic spectators along the course.

Every year, the Shanghai Marathon is a city-wide celebration. Many citizens come to cheer you on along the course, and there will be 20 music stations along the route. Various schools' cheerleading squads, drum bands, symphony orchestras, and other bands will be present to accompany the runners through the 42.195 kilometers.