Large-scale event with '30,000 runners' held after the convention
Suspended for two consecutive years since the COVID-19 outbreak
[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] The Beijing Marathon, which had been suspended to prevent the spread of COVID-19, will be held again after three years. With 30,000 participants running through the heart of Beijing, this has led to interpretations that China’s strict COVID-19 control and management policies may be entering a turning point.
On the 4th, China Central Television (CCTV) reported that the Beijing Marathon, hosted by the Chinese Athletics Association, Beijing Municipality, and China Media Group, will take place on the 6th of next month. The course covers a total of 40 km, starting from Tiananmen Square and running to the Olympic Park, with a participant limit of 30,000.
Applications opened on the same day and will close at 10 a.m. on the 7th. If the number of applicants exceeds the limit, participants will be selected by lottery. In 2019, the last time the event was held, 160,000 applicants had applied. This marathon, which began in 1981 and has a 41-year history, was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
Applicants must be Beijing residents aged 20 or older who have completed a full marathon within 6 hours or a half marathon within 3 hours between January 2019 and August this year. Those from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, or foreigners must submit designated identification and proof of residence. Regarding COVID-19, proof of vaccination, a negative PCR test result within 24 hours before the event, and a 7-day stay in Beijing are required. Registration fees are 200 yuan (about 40,000 KRW) for Chinese nationals (including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) and 50 USD (about 70,000 KRW) for foreigners, with prize money of 20,000 USD each for men and women.
It is also notable that Chinese state media, including CCTV, are reporting on the resumption of the marathon and encouraging participation. The state-run English newspaper Global Times quoted a local hopeful participant saying, "The Beijing Marathon is like a weather vane," adding, "It felt like returning to the past and regaining a normal life."
There are optimistic expectations that sequential easing of COVID-19 restrictions will follow after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which begins on the 16th. Since authorities have strictly enforced prevention policies ahead of the congress that will decide President Xi Jinping’s third term, it is anticipated that tensions may ease after the congress. Large-scale domestic events like the Beijing Marathon may normalize, and measures such as easing interregional travel restrictions and changing the frequency of nucleic acid testing could follow.
However, some voices caution against viewing the marathon’s resumption as an entirely positive sign. The event strictly enforces mask-wearing and a 1-meter social distancing rule among participants, so it is not held under the same conditions as before. Moreover, if the stable single-digit number of confirmed cases in Beijing worsens, the event could be canceled at any time.
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