2013 Lanzhou International Marathon Registration Hits 43,600, Setting a New Record
Heavy Competition Load Sees Absence of Top Domestic Athletes
Reporters learned from the Lanzhou Municipal Sports Bureau on June 4 that registration for professional athletes participating in the June 15, 2013 Lanzhou International Marathon closed recently. A total of 43,600 runners signed up for this year’s marathon, including 2,221 full marathon participants—more than double last year’s figure. Among them, 86 professional athletes hail from 26 countries and regions, including Ethiopia and Kenya, as well as 61 provincial and municipal teams across China. However, due to the National Athletics Championships being held on the same day as the Lanzhou Marathon, along with the upcoming National Games and World Athletics Championships, nearly all top domestic marathon runners have opted out of this year’s Lanzhou event.
43,600 Participants Mark Another Record High
In recent years, marathon events have become highly sought-after in China’s sports scene. Major cities aim to promote their image through city marathons, leading to a mushrooming of such events nationwide. In 2011, China hosted 22 marathon events; in 2012, that number rose to 33, with over 500,000 participants. In 2013, China is expected to hold 44 marathon races, marking a consecutive three-year increase of roughly 10 races per year.
According to the Lanzhou Municipal Sports Bureau, this year’s Lanzhou International Marathon saw exceptionally high enthusiasm. After reaching the originally planned cap of 40,000 participants, many runners still expressed strong interest, prompting the organizing committee to urgently negotiate with sponsors to secure an additional 1,000 sets of race apparel to be expedited to Lanzhou. Another significant change this year is the notable increase in full marathon participants compared to previous editions—2,221 runners signed up for the full marathon, more than double the previous year, while 4,102 joined the half marathon, also higher than in the past. This signals a clear improvement in the competitive level of the Lanzhou International Marathon. However, having only been held three times, the Lanzhou Marathon still lags behind top-tier domestic events in this regard. For comparison, the 2012 Xiamen Marathon attracted 73,896 participants, with 25,049 taking on the full marathon—a striking 33% of the total.
Incomplete statistics suggest that the frequency of marathon events is closely tied to a nation’s economic strength. The United States, the world’s largest economy, hosted over 780 marathons in 2012. Japan, with the third-largest economy and just one-tenth of China’s population, held around 200 marathons in the same year. Other countries such as Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and Russia each hosted approximately 100 or more. It is believed that as China’s economy grows and health awareness rises, more people will join the ranks of marathon runners.
Top Domestic Athletes Absent
2013 marks China’s National Games year. Although the National Games marathon event has already concluded, many marathon runners also compete in the 10,000m or 5,000m events. Given the long-standing emphasis on the National Games, domestic athletes are hesitant to divert their focus. Coincidentally, the Lanzhou International Marathon and the 2013 China Athletics Championships fall on the same day. The Championships serve as a qualifying event for the National Games, and the Athletics Management Center stipulates that any team failing to participate will lose points earned at their best-performing qualifier of the year. The significance of the Championships and the strict penalties imposed by the center have left no room for professional teams to skip the event.
Additionally, the 2013 IAAF World Championships are scheduled for August 10–18 in Moscow. Top Chinese marathon runners have already gathered with the national team for training, making it the third reason why elite athletes are sitting out the Lanzhou International Marathon.
According to the registration list provided by the Lanzhou Municipal Sports Bureau, two female champions of the Lanzhou International Marathon—Jia Chaofeng and Zhang Jingxia—had registered. However, although both athletes and their training unit, the Provincial Sports Work Team No. 1, were keen for them to compete, they have been drafted into the national team to prepare for the 2013 World Athletics Championships. The Athletics Management Center explicitly prohibited their participation in the Lanzhou event. Meanwhile, reports from Qinghai indicate that Yin Shunjin, the newly crowned National Games men’s marathon champion and last year’s domestic champion of the Lanzhou International Marathon, will also miss the race for the same reason.
Although top domestic athletes are absent, the 24 international athletes invited by the organizing committee remain highly competitive. The top male entrant is Stephen Kipkemboi Tuwei from Kenya, with a personal best of 2:07:19, achieved at the 2012 Prague Marathon. The fastest female entrant is Genet Getaneh Wendaebnegneb from Ethiopia, with a best time of 2:25:38. The absence of top domestic runners may make this year’s Lanzhou Marathon less unpredictable.
Race Route Adjusted
To optimize the marathon route, the organizing committee made adjustments based on extensive feedback. This year’s course resembles that of the inaugural marathon, with the mini marathon finish line moved from last year’s Jingning Road to Sports Park.
The detailed route is as follows: [Start] Dongfanghong Square, Lanzhou (eastward) → Donggang West Road → Panxuan Road Intersection (left turn – northward) → Tianshui Middle Road → Yantan Bridge Intersection → Tianshui North Road → (left turn) Yantan Yellow River Bridge → (westward) North Binhe East Road → Gansu Grand Theatre → North Binhe East Road → Chengguan Yellow River Bridge → Zhongshan Iron Bridge → Jincheng Pass [Mini Marathon Finish] → Longyuan → Xiaoxihu Overpass → North Binhe Middle Road → Qilihe Yellow River Bridge → North Binhe West Road → Source of Life (sculpture) → Provincial Party School → Yintan Yellow River Bridge → Yintan Wetland Park → Gansu Agricultural University → 21km (turning point) → [After 21km westward + 97.5m Half Marathon Finish] → Gansu Agricultural University → Yintan Wetland Park → west side of Yintan Yellow River Bridge (left turn – onto west ramp) → right turn into greenbelt of west ramp of Yintan Yellow River Bridge → Yintan Yellow River Bridge → 700m loop at Matan Cultural Island → east ramp of Qilihe section of Yintan Yellow River Bridge → (right turn – eastward) South Binhe Middle Road → Lanzhou Cigarette Factory → Baihe Park → Qilihe Yellow River Bridge → Wujia Yuan → Lanzhou General Hospital of Lanzhou Military Region → Xiaoxihu Overpass → Mother Yellow River (sculpture) → Xiaoxihu Park → Century-old Zhongshan Iron Bridge → South Binhe East Road → Bolang (sculpture) → Civic Park → Pingsha Luoyan (sculpture) → Reader Avenue → Yantan Bridge Intersection (right turn – southward) → Tianshui Middle Road → Panxuan Road Intersection (right turn – westward) → Donggang West Road → Dongfanghong Square [Marathon Finish].
The biggest change is to the mini marathon (5km), which now follows this route: [Start] Dongfanghong Square, Lanzhou (eastward) → Donggang West Road → Panxuan Road Intersection (left turn – northward) → Tianshui Middle Road → Yantan Bridge Intersection → Yantan Park → Tianshui North Road → east entrance of Tuanjie Road (left turn) → Tuanjie Road (CPPCC) → west entrance of Tuanjie Road (left turn) → South Binhe East Road → Sports Park [Finish].