by sportswriters Li Chunyu and Wu Junkuan

BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- With a history of more than four decades, the Beijing Marathon's iconic route from Tian'anmen Square to the Olympic Park has been a primary attraction for runners worldwide, and over 30,000 runners took part in the 2025 edition on Sunday.

"Tian'anmen Square is the heart of China's capital city. Starting from the square brings a sense of pride to me and really means a lot," said Xu Mingkai, 32, who finished his fourth Beijing Marathon in a personal best time of two hours and 31 minutes.

The first Beijing Marathon in 1981 also started from Tian'anmen Square. Although there were only 86 professional runners in that race, it was regarded as a milestone in the process of China's reform and opening up.

Last year's Beijing Marathon saw a record 182,949 runners from 43 countries and regions registered for the race, despite a cap of only 30,000 participants. Even though the participation quota was expanded to 32,000 this year, it was still difficult to meet the demand of enthusiasts.

Fang Qi, 36, and her husband Zhang Bo, 39, embraced their first Beijing Marathon together. "Running is a part of our life. We achieved our goals step by step, from just several kilometers to a half-marathon and now Beijing Marathon. We want to set an example for our child to keep healthy and disciplined as a lifestyle," Fang said.

Zhang echoed, "The Beijing Olympic Forest Park is our 'training park.' The comfortable environment makes us feel more relaxed while running, and we have made many friends there."

Beijing saw 35 new parks in 2024, bringing its total number to 1,100, many of which are increasingly popular destinations for runners, including Temple of Heaven Park, Yuyuantan Park and Beijing Olympic Forest Park.

"Many retired athletes and veteran runners shared their valuable experience and small tips to newcomers in our running group, helping them practice in a healthy and scientific way. We took part in marathon races across the country to encourage each other as well," said Wang Lin, a running group member in Beijing's Fangshan District.

According to the China Athletics Association, the number of road races nationwide reached 749 in 2024, attracting more than seven million runners.

Meanwhile, a record 4,700 runners finished this year's Beijing Marathon within three hours, up from 3,004 last year.

"Marathon runners always inspire us to keep the passion for life. The running atmosphere and sports culture has spread throughout our campus and the city," said Liu Longyan, a graduate student at Capital University of Physical Education and Sports, who served as a volunteer at the Beijing Marathon.

"When the runners passed by the National Speed Skating Oval, a 2022 Winter Olympic venue known as the 'Ice Ribbon,' and crossed the finish line between the National Stadium 'Bird's Nest' and the National Aquatics Center 'Water Cube,' they also became a part of the story of the dual Olympic city," said Wang Ling, director of the Beijing Sports Competitions Administration and International Exchange Center.

The 21st World Athletics Championships will be held in Beijing in 2027, 12 years after the city hosted the 15th edition of the tournament.

"Beijing Marathon once again highlighted the public's enthusiasm for running and the capital city's modern vitality. We will further enrich the system of road races as well as track and field events in Beijing to continue the glory of the dual Olympic city," noted Yu Qingfeng, director of the Beijing Sports Bureau. Enditem