[Video provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
The 2023 COLMO Wuxi Marathon will kick off at 7:30 am on March 19 after a hiatus last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The marathon will also function as a qualifier for the 2023 IAAF World Championships in Budapest and the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022.
Twenty-seven foreign marathon runners have been invited to participate in the race, while Team China and provincial training teams will also send nearly 160 athletes to participate.
A total of 33,000 runners are expected to compete in the event. The 33,000 slots include 22,000 for the full marathon (42.2 kilometers), 8,000 for the half-marathon (21.1 km), and 3,000 for the mini-marathon (4 km).
The annual marathon is known for its scenic route, which passes through several popular local scenic areas, such as Lihu Lake and Yuantouzhu Scenic Area, and attracts many runners from around the world every year.
This year's route will start from Yinxiu Road, pass through the Gonghuwan Wetland Park, and end at the Wuxi Taihu International Expo Center.
To provide a better experience for runners, more than 5,000 volunteers will serve as guides and provide supplies along the route, and one helicopter for medical assistance, 20 ambulances, 26 medical stations, 100 automated external defibrillators (AED), and more than 1,200 medical service providers will be present at the scene to ensure safety.
Participants of the Wuxi Marathon will enjoy half-price tickets to Yuantouzhu Scenic Area, Plum Garden, Wuxi Zoo, and other attractions in the city from March 17 to 20.
Since its launch in 2014, the Wuxi Marathon has received recognition from the Chinese Athletics Association, World Athletics, and the Association of International Marathon and Distance Races. This year, the event was named the World Athletics Gold Label Road Race.
