26Oct 24
Beijing, “monster” marathon: 180 thousand runners at the start
The Beijing Marathon always gets people talking. A dozen years ago it made headlines because, among the 35,000 participants, there wasn’t even one Japanese athlete, who are usually numerous in those parts. There was no reason why, given the political tensions between the two countries which were stronger than ever at the time, the Chinese government banned entry to marathon runners from the Land of the Rising Sun. And not without controversy. A couple of years later, it was 2014, the Beijing Marathon made headlines because a few hours after the start, the 30 thousand participants were strongly advised not to start because a cloud of smog had enveloped the city and the dangers to health were real . The marathon started anyway and the images of the marathon runners running with gas masks went around the world, again not without controversy. And we are in the present day. Precisely last April when the “chaos” broke out, even if this time in the half marathon, when at the finish line, after having literally dominated the race, the Kenyans Robert Keter, Willy Mnangat e the Ethiopian Dejene Hailu instead of competing in the sprint they let the Chinese join them He Jie who is a few hundred meters behind, they make room for him and with one hand they signal him to pass, letting him win. Open heaven…The Beijing 2024 marathon will take place on November 3rd and it will be an edition that will not go unnoticed, indeed, it will go down in history as the most attended ever. The number of registered participants is impressive: the organizers announce over 180,000 runners. Despite the participation limit of 30,000 athletes, the overwhelming demand has led to an unprecedented number of registrations, since registration opened on 2 October, as many as 182,949 runners from 43 countries have submitted their applications in just three days. A river of runners that will be really complicated to manage though Wang Xiaoying, member of the executive committee of Chinese Athletics Associationassured that “the Marathon Beijing, as a leading event in China, will continue to strengthen organizational standards, optimize event services and improve overall quality.” The start, located on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square, will be moved north, allowing all runners to gather on the square’s eastern street for a more streamlined start. Will it be enough?