The marathon participants. [Photo provided to gofujian.com.cn]

The 2023 Fuzhou Marathon made a return on Dec 17 after a three-year hiatus. The event attracted a staggering 50,000 participants, including 12 thousand for the full marathon, 23 thousand for the half marathon, and 15 thousand for the health run (approximately 4 kilometers).

Starting from Wuyi Square, the course will then take the runners through the famous historical and cultural block Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, the former trade and distribution center of Fuzhou Shangxiahang Historical and Cultural District and other Fuzhou city landmarks and scenic spots before terminating at the Cross-Strait Olympic Sports Center.

After fierce competition, Bekele Murunai Metafia from Ethiopia won the marathon men's championship with a time of 2:11:43. Guan Yousheng, the top-performing Chinese male athlete, secured fourth place with a time of 2:11:59, setting a new personal best. Both Guan Yousheng and Cen Wanjiang, who finished fifth, achieved personal records.

In the women's group, Ding Changqin triumphed over two formidable Ethiopian competitors, claiming the championship title with a remarkable time of 2:28:24, setting a new competition record.

Founded in 2015, the Fuzhou Marathon is now a gold medal event of the China Association of Athletics Federations (CAAF), a standard event certified by the World Association of Athletics Federations (WAAF), and one of the largest marathon events in China.

Taking advantage of Fuzhou's recent achievement of winning the first Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award), this year's Fuzhou Marathon aims to "become the most environmentally-friendly marathon in the greenest province of China", and advocates for the environmental protection of contestants and organizers.