2019 Beijing Marathon Completion Data Analysis
Men's event record broken, 986 runners finished within 3 hours, 98.20% completion rate, average completion time of 4 hours 16 minutes...The 2019 China Fortune Beijing Marathon (hereinafter referred to as the Beijing Marathon) took advantage of favorable timing, location, and human harmony, presenting a satisfactory answer to honor the 70th anniversary of New China.Since entering the full marathon era, the 2019 Beijing Marathon has exhibited five 'high' characteristics: high standards, high quality, high popularity, high completion rate, and high reputation. As the national marathon, the Beijing Marathon not only leads the development of the domestic marathon industry but also witnesses the rise of Chinese amateur runners.The number of runners finishing within 3 hours approached 1,000, setting a new record for a single domestic event and earning the Beijing Marathon the title of 'Fastest Domestic Course of the Year.'High Completion Rate:Highest in the full marathon era:98.62%
In the 2019 Beijing Marathon, 30,031 runners started, with 29,491 finishing, achieving a completion rate of 98.20%, the highest since the full marathon era began.Among them, the men's completion rate was 98.62%, while the women's was 96.54%.This is the smallest gap in completion rates between men and women in the history of the Beijing Marathon.Compared to previous years, the 2019 Beijing Marathon had a lower entry threshold, but this did not affect the completion rate. According to statistics, 165,704 runners participated in the pre-registration this year, setting a new domestic record.Since entering the full marathon era, the Beijing Marathon's completion rate has shown an overall upward trend, increasing by 10 percentage points over five years.This means that compared to 2015, the 2019 Beijing Marathon had over 3,000 more finishers.
Compared to the 2019 World Marathon Majors 'Big Six,' the Beijing Marathon's completion rate is also impressive. Under similar weather conditions, it surpassed the Tokyo Marathon (94.3%), Boston Marathon (97.4%), and Berlin Marathon (93.77%).The progress of amateur runners is remarkable, not only reflected in the rapid improvement of completion times but also in the ultra-high completion rate.Perseverance is the spirit of the marathon, and knowing one's limits is also the spirit of the marathon. We hope to remain humble in victory and not discouraged in defeat, train scientifically, and participate rationally.Domestic Record:986 runners finished within 3 hours
Compared to 2018, the 2019 Beijing Marathon had 1,256 more finishers, reaching 29,491.Among them, 986 runners finished within 3:00:00, setting a new record for a single domestic event.Every year in the full marathon era, the Beijing Marathon has seen breakthroughs, thanks to continuous course adjustments and optimizations, improvements in organization and service levels, favorable weather, and the scientific training efforts of amateur runners over the years.There were 50 runners who finished within 2:30:00, with the number of female runners remaining the same as in 2018 at 4, while the number of male runners increased by 19 to 46. The number of runners finishing between 2:30:01 and 3:00:00 surged, with 904 male runners alone. From 2015 to 2019, the number of runners finishing within 3:00:00 has shown an accelerating growth trend.The number of runners finishing within 3:00:00 in the 2019 Beijing Marathon is four times that of 2015.The number of runners finishing within 3:30:00 reached 5,418, accounting for 18.5%. The number of runners finishing within 3:30:00 in the 2019 Beijing Marathon is twice that of 2015.
Flying Together:Average completion time of 4:16:00
The Beijing Marathon is getting faster, not only with the number of runners finishing within 3 hours approaching 1,000 but also reflected inthe average completion time of the 2019 Beijing Marathon: 4:16:00.Among them, the average completion time for male runners was 4:11:25, and for female runners, it was 4:34:18.Compared to the average completion times of the 2019 World Marathon Majors, the Beijing Marathon is not inferior at all.The average completion time for the Tokyo Marathon was 4:36:21, for the New York Marathon was 4:37:59, and for the Berlin Marathon was 4:11:29.Since entering the full marathon era, the average completion time of the Beijing Marathon has improved at an annual rate of 4 minutes, with this year showing a leap, improving by 11 minutes and 18 seconds compared to 2018.Moreover, men and women are showing a trend of flying together and becoming more balanced. In the 2019 Beijing Marathon, male runners overall sped up by 11 minutes and 6 seconds compared to 2018, while female runners sped up by 15 minutes and 38 seconds.Completion Peak:Eighty percent of runners finished within 3-5 hours
Using half-hour intervals as a reference, we found that the distribution of runners in each completion time segment of the Beijing Marathon presents a 'jujube core' shape, meaning fewer runners at both ends and more in the middle.In the last two Beijing Marathons, the most runners finished in the 3:30:01-4:00:00 interval.However, the 'jujube core' center is noticeably different.In the 2018 Beijing Marathon, the 'jujube core' center was lower, with over 80% of runners finishing between 3:30:01 and 6:00:00, while in the 2019 Beijing Marathon, the 'jujube core' center was higher, with 80% of runners finishing between 3:00:01 and 5:00:00.In the five completion time segments within 4:30:00, the number of finishers in the 2019 Beijing Marathon significantly exceeded that of 2018.Young and Energetic:The average age of runners in this year's Beijing Marathon is 40
The average age of runners in the 2019 Beijing Marathon is 40, which has been hovering between 39 and 40 since the full marathon era began.In terms of the number of finishers in each age group, the 35-39 age group had the most, with 6,133 runners, followed by the 40-44 age group (5,594 runners) and the 45-49 age group (5,148 runners). The fourth place was the 30-34 age group, with 4,722 runners.A total of 21,579 runners aged 30-49 accounted for 73.8%, still the main force in marathon running.The proportion of runners aged 30-49 in this year's event dropped significantly compared to 2018 (88%), approaching the level of 2017 (71%).Compared to 2018, the number of runners aged 50-59 in this year's Beijing Marathon increased by 1,019, while the number of runners under 29 decreased by 977.
Golden Age Group:The 45-49 age group dominates multiple firsts
In terms of the average completion time for each age group, the 45-49 age group was the fastest in this year's Beijing Marathon, with an average completion time of 4:10:30, and it dominated the three fastest categories: overall, men, and women.Runners aged 40-59 had an average completion time faster than the overall average completion time of this year's Beijing Marathon, while other age groups did not.In terms of the number of star-level finishers in each age group, the 45-49 age group also stood out.Among 9-star runners, the 45-49 age group ranked first with 177 runners, followed by the 18-34 age group and the 50-54 age group.When further divided by gender, the 45-49 age group also ranked first in the number of 9-star runners for both men and women.In fact, from 5-star to 8-star, the 45-49 age group had the most runners in these four star levels, sweeping the field.This characteristic was also evident in 2018.
Significant Progress:Female runners have significantly improved in both speed and quantity
A major feature of the 2019 Beijing Marathon is the significant overall progress of female runners. In addition to the aforementioned 'female runners sped up by 15 minutes and 38 seconds,' the number of female finishers also increased by 977 compared to 2018, reaching 5,895. Female finishers accounted for 20% of the total finishers in the Beijing Marathon, up from 17.4% in 2018.This year, the completion times for female runners were mainly concentrated in three segments: 3:30:01-5:00:00, with the number of finishers in each segment exceeding 1,000.In the 2018 Beijing Marathon, there were only two segments where the number of female finishers exceeded 1,000: 4:30:01-5:00:00 and 5:30:01-6:00:00.
Pinnacle of Achievement:The number of 9-star runners doubled compared to last year
Among the finishers of the 2019 Beijing Marathon, there were 2,931 runners who achieved 7 stars or above, accounting for 10%.Those at the pinnacle of the pyramid are truly 'top runners.'There were 739 9-star runners in the 2019 Beijing Marathon, 376 more than in 2018, doubling the number; there were 781 8-star runners, 322 more than in 2018. We look forward to seeing the number of 9-star runners who can directly qualify for the next Beijing Marathon surpass 1,000 soon.The star rating system of the Beijing Marathon was initially based on the Boston Marathon BQ, which is equivalent to 6.5 stars in the Beijing Marathon. The BQ for the 2020 Boston Marathon has been revised, raising the standard by 5 minutes.The 7-star rating of the Beijing Marathon is consistent with the new BQ.The distribution of runners across the 9 star levels generally presents an upright pyramid shape.Among them, 3-star runners were the most numerous, with 5,543 runners, followed by 5-star and 4-star runners, with 4,684 and 4,681 runners respectively, accounting for 50%.Even from a gender perspective, whether male or female, the 3-5 star levels had the most runners.
Rising Stars:Qinghai men and Taiwan women lead the fastest
By region, Qinghai runners were the fastest, followed by runners from Taiwan and Jiangxi, with the top three regions all having average completion times under 4 hours.Among them, Qinghai runners had an average completion time of 3:39:32, an impressive performance. Additionally, runners from Yunnan and Zhejiang also had average completion times under 4 hours, with times of 3:57:35 and 3:49:16, ranking fourth and fifth respectively. Zhejiang runners had topped the list in 2017 and 2018 but missed out on a three-peat this year. Tibet, Beijing, and Hong Kong ranked in the bottom three this year. Better luck next year!
When further broken down by region and gender,among male runners, Qinghai, Taiwan, and Jiangxi still ranked in the top three;while among female runners, the top three were Taiwan, Qinghai, and Yunnan.In 2018, the fastest runners were from Zhejiang for women and Chongqing for men. This year, Qinghai and Taiwan emerged as the dark horses.
Fastest and Most Numerous: The Crown Goes to Libra
You may remember that in the ranking of average completion times by zodiac sign, Virgo had previously won three consecutive titles. However, this year, the top spot was taken byLibra, with an average completion time of 4:14:53, leading the pack, followed by Capricorn, with Virgo dropping to third.
Remember, when Virgo won the 2018 Beijing Marathon, their average completion time was 4:25:52, and this year, the average completion time for all twelve zodiac signs was under 4 hours and 18 minutes. Isn't that impressive?Moreover, Libra also had the most finishers, with 3,103 runners, making it the only zodiac sign with over 3,000 finishers. Scorpio and Virgo followed closely behind.Among male runners, Libra, Scorpio, and Virgo were the most numerous, while among female runners, Scorpio, Libra, and Virgo were the top three.Looking at the dates of the Beijing Marathon over the past ten years, it has always been held during the period from Virgo to Libra to Scorpio, which is quite fitting.
Best Partners:Capricorn women and Libra men take the crown
In the 2018 Beijing Marathon, the best partners were Sagittarius men and Capricorn women, but in 2019, it changed to Libra men and Capricorn women as the fastest pair.Among male runners, Libra, Capricorn, and Virgo were the top three fastest;among female runners, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Cancer were the top three fastest.This year, Aries runners, both male and female, had the slowest times.But don't worry, there's always next year!In previous Beijing Marathons, Taurus had finished last twice, and Aquarius was at the bottom last year.The wheel of fortune turns, who knows who will be at the bottom next year?
This article is sourced from the Beijing Marathon official WeChat account