Nicknamed "Shang Ma" by runners, the Shanghai International Marathon celebrates its 18th "coming of age" this year and has been upgraded by World Athletics to a Gold Label road race from this year onward. Yesterday, the organizing committee announced that the 18-year-old "Shang Ma" will introduce the popular 10-kilometer race for the first time, and the route design will be more scenic, with the Old Port area becoming a new highlight.
Before "Shang Ma," only the Beijing Marathon and Xiamen Marathon had been consecutive five-time Gold Label races by World Athletics. The Yangzhou Half Marathon was also recently upgraded from a Silver to a Gold Label race earlier this year. Now celebrating its 18th anniversary, "Shang Ma" has no title sponsor, focuses on public welfare, emphasizes culture and unique features, and with its continuously growing influence, it has successfully earned the upgrade this year.
To this end, the event has once again expanded its scale this year, with innovations in the event setup. The number of available spots has increased from 30,000 last year to 35,000, with the new slots allocated to the newly added 10-kilometer race. The numbers for the full and half marathons remain at 18,000, while the fun run has 12,000 spots. The multi-tiered event structure offers more choices for participants, allowing running enthusiasts of all levels to take part in this "festival for the citizens."
This year, both the start and finish lines of the "Shang Ma" are located in central Shanghai — beginning at Chen Yi Square on the Bund, with the full and half marathons ending at Shanghai Stadium, and the fun run finishing at Shanghai Exhibition Center. The newly added 10-kilometer race will also finish in the city center, at Fuxing Park, a fashionable area with French retro charm and shaded by plane trees.
Along the route, in addition to traditional landmarks such as the Bund, Nanjing Road East Pedestrian Street, Nanjing Road West CBD business district, Huaihai Road fashion street, Xuhui Riverside, and Shanghai Stadium, the organizing committee has also included the Old Port area of the Bund in the marathon course, adding a touch of historical elegance to the entire route.