Marathons are now all over the event calendar, all over China, proving that life has returned to normal. But they are too a bellwether for urban development and in Nanjing, the city’s Marathon also underscores a public’s commitment to fitness.
Some 30,000 runners participated in the Nanjing Marathon, held yesterday, 12 November. This was a special marathon, not least for being the first in 4 years, but also for a change in its route.
While starting out as usual from the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre, the Marathon this year provided for a run past some of the most picturesque parts of Nanjing, with the 42.195-kilometre workout leading along the Yangtze River to the finish line at Yanziji.
As PSA Nanjing (南京发布) reported, when it was all over, the men’s champion was Sammy Kirop Kitwara of Kenya, in a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, 48 seconds; while a Chinese took the women’s title, Liu Min, in 2 hours, 32 minutes, 39 seconds.
Relevant data shows that in October of this year alone, more than 80 marathons were held in China. The concept of national fitness, nationwide it would appear, or at least in tier 1 thru 3 cities, has become deeply rooted in the hearts of people.
56-year old Nanjinger, Jiang Hongmin, has participated in every Nanjing Marathon held since its debut in 2015. He said, “I used to be overweight and had a fatty liver disease. As I kept on running, I became healthier and my energy improved greatly”. Jiang further elaborated that since his first Nanjing Marathon, he has gone on to run 80 others.
According to incomplete statistics, Nanjing has as many as 30 or 40 private marathon running groups, excluding those set up by enterprises and colleges. One of the largest is the Laisi Running Group, established in 2017, which now boasts 16,000 members.
Group leader Xie Wenjun explained to Nanjing Daily that the group was more or less born out of necessity. “Many runners are worried about the registration channels, because most marathons have to draw lots to determine the participants”, said Xie.
“Due to this group-registration policy, I just wanted to create a running group. In addition to participating in competitions, I also use [the group’s] collective strength to drive more people around me to run.”
Many of these new-found running enthusiasts take to Nanjing’s fitness trails for their regular regime. Often located in a beautiful environment, they offer excellent facilities and, increasingly, more and more value-added elements. The Jianye District Olympic Sports Centre Smart Fitness Trail serves as a good example, featuring functions such as face-recognition registration and real-time heart rate monitoring.
As of the end of 2022, Nanjing had built a total of 4,100 kilometres of fitness trails, in part as a response to public demand and a growing interest in fitness.
The annual Marathon has been a key driver. Tan Jie was one of the top ten figures of the year in the first China Marathon, and now serves as an editorial board member of the New Sports Network. Tan said, “Compared with traditional events, marathons are easier to label and brand with a city. In a football match, what everyone remembers is the score and the players, but in a marathon, it is organically integrated with the host city from the beginning.
“[The trail] can help fully display the city, its regional style and humanistic history”.
