Runners participate in the 2023 Xiamen Marathon in Xiamen, a city in East China's Fujian province, on April 2. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]

The Xiamen Marathon received the prestigious Global Special Contribution Award from World Athletics on March 31, the day after the event's 20th anniversary, making Xiamen the first marathon host city in the world to win such an honor.

Alessio Punzi, head of Road Running and Mass Participation at World Athletics, visited Xiamen for the second time and presented the award. Punzi applauded Xiamen's efforts for promoting marathon and said that Xiamen has become more beautiful.

Since its inception in 2003, the Xiamen Marathon has been a popular and attractive event, partly due to the fact that Xiamen boasts one of the most beautiful marathon courses in the world. The 2023 Xiamen Marathon attracted 35,000 runners on April 2.

The Xiamen Marathon was awarded the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label in 2021, which is the highest level of the current three-level race rating system and signifies the world's top race certification label. It has become a global marathon event and has facilitated Xiamen's international cooperation and exchanges in the sport.