This Day, That Year

Editor’s Note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up policy.

As the country’s oldest race, founded in 1981, the annual Beijing Marathon was certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 1982.

Last year, 28,365 runners from 33 countries and regions passed the finishing line of the Beijing Marathon.

The participants reflected the country’s marathon frenzy on the back of growing health awareness and rising affluence.

Last year, 1,102 marathon-related events were held nationwide, with nearly 5 million runners participating, the Chinese Athletic Association said. In 2011, there were about 20 such events.

However, the long-distance running phenomenon exposed management loopholes which can endanger runners.

In a marathon held in 2016 in Qingyuan, Guangdong province, 60 percent of the 20,000 runners reported being injured in the race, nearly 10,000 suffered muscle cramp.

Last month, the General Administration of Sport of China issued a long-term guideline for marathon development aimed at strengthening management by implementing nationwide standards on race organization, services, security, medical support and logistics over the next few years.

By 2020, around 1,900 races will attract 10 million runners annually, it said.