On February 8, the Lanzhou Municipal Government held a work arrangement meeting for the 2012 Lanzhou International Marathon and the National Marathon Points Race, announcing that the second Lanzhou International Marathon will commence on June 10, 2012. This edition of the event has added new awards such as a record-breaking bonus, and the prize amounts for the ranking awards have been significantly increased compared to the previous edition. The first-place prize for both the men’s and women’s full marathon has been raised from $20,000 in the previous edition to $40,000, with a reward of $100,000 for breaking the world record. At the same time, this edition will introduce ranking awards, where the top 20 finishers in both the men’s and women’s full marathons will receive cash prizes. The first-place winner will receive $40,000, second place $20,000, third place $10,000, fourth place $8,000, fifth place $5,000, sixth place $3,000, seventh to tenth place $1,000 each, and eleventh to twentieth place $500 each. The top three male and female finishers will also each receive a trophy, a medal, and a set of victory apparel.
For non-professional athletes (those not registered with the Chinese Athletics Association), the rewards are as follows: the first to sixth place winners among both men and women will receive a reward of 800 RMB; the seventh to fiftieth place winners among both men and women will receive a reward of 500 RMB (no duplicate rewards if they are already within the top 20 of the full marathon). Participants who complete the full marathon within the stipulated time will be awarded a commemorative medal, a certificate of achievement, and a souvenir. Additionally, the half marathon prize structure for this edition sets awards for the top 20 male and female participants, who will each receive a ranking prize. The first to sixth place winners will receive $5,000, $2,000, $1,000, $800, $600, and $500 respectively, while the seventh to tenth place winners will receive $300 each, and the eleventh to twentieth place winners will receive $200 each.
Athlete Registration
Registration for this event is conducted in two phases: the official registration phase and the waiting list registration phase. Official registration phase: Lanzhou will hold a press conference to announce details, and registration will close early if the quota is filled. Local participants can register at designated on-site registration points, while participants from other regions can register through the official Lanzhou Marathon website registration system or at officially designated registration points. Waiting list registration phase: from April 2 to 13, 17:00, with early closure if the quota is filled.
If the number of registrants does not reach 30,000 by the end of the official registration phase, the remaining slots will be opened for the waiting list registration phase. If the 30,000-participant quota is reached during the official registration phase, there will be no waiting list registration phase. This race will continue to accept both individual and group registrations. According to the published registration fee standards, the fee is $20 (or 150 RMB) per person for international participants; for domestic participants (including those from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan): 40 RMB per person for the full marathon, 30 RMB per person for the half marathon, and 20 RMB per person for the mini marathon and fun run. Group registrations (including school groups for students) with 20 or more participants will receive a 50% discount on fees.
According to reports, the highest first-place prize among domestic marathon events is $45,000.