One of China's most influential and internationally renowned marathon events, the 2012 Xiamen International Marathon and National Marathon Points Race was successfully held on January 7. The Xiamen International Marathon was established in 2003 and is jointly organized by the Chinese Athletics Association and the Xiamen Municipal Government. This edition of the race saw nearly 80,000 participants from 56 countries and regions, featuring a full marathon, half marathon, wheelchair half marathon, 10km inline skating, 10km fun run, 5km fun run, and a Cross-Strait Cities Invitational Race. In this competition, Kenyan athlete Peter won the men's championship and broke the event record, while the women's title went to Ethiopian athlete Kasim. For the first time, Chinese female athletes did not win any medals, with the best result being Jin Lingling’s 6th place.
Runners during the event
A total of 73,643 participants from 56 countries and regions, as well as all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China, registered for this race. Among them, 18,358 runners signed up for the full marathon, setting a record for domestic marathon events. The wheelchair half marathon included 48 athletes with disabilities from China, Japan, South Korea, and Chinese Taipei; the Cross-Strait Cities Invitational Race featured 400 participants from 100 cities, including 10 teams from Taiwan; and the inline skating race had 263 athletes. Both the number of participants and the number of participating countries and regions reached an all-time high, making it one of the largest domestic events. Particularly notable was the enthusiastic participation of college students in Xiamen. One of the most popular aspects of the "Xiamen Marathon" among runners was racing along the scenic coastal route of the Island Ring Road.