The 34th Dalian Marathon started at 7:30 a.m. on October 20th, with 30,000 marathon enthusiasts crossing the starting line one after the other. They crossed the city, running with passion in the cool weather as enthusiastic citizens along the route cheered them on.
Dalian has many laudatory titles, such as “Global Livable City”, “Culture City of East Asia”, “Best Tourist City in China” and “Top Ten Most Livable Cities in China”. For this reason, the Dalian Marathon, also known as “Da Ma”, has attracted many marathon enthusiasts from home and abroad to participate in the race. This event, established in 1987, is the first marathon in China to reach ten thousand participants and enjoys high reputation and influence both at home and abroad.
As an A1 marathon certified by the Chinese Athletics Association, this year’s Dalian Marathon has adopted intelligent event organization by integrating facial recognition and intelligent material collection systems to provide runners with an efficient and convenient racing experience. The BeiDou satellite technology provides precise technical support for the safe running of the event and enables precise monitoring and management. Along the route there are also cultural cheering stations with war drums, photo check-in stations, cheerleading performances, folk music bands, square dancing, and Dalian intangible cultural heritage performances such as Danxian Paiqu (a one-sided plucked ballad), Taiping drum dance, Changsuihua -Drum dance (long tassel flower drum dance) and Dalian puppet shows.
This year’s event includes three categories: the full marathon, the half marathon and the fun run. The 42.195 km full marathon course begins in the fashionable and modern Donggang business district, passes through the centuries-old Zhongshan Square, traverses the main street Zhongshan Road, turns at the expansive Xinghai Bay, crosses a bridge over the sea and returns over the tree-lined Huihua Avenue and the “spanning centuries” tram back. Everywhere along the route there are wonderful views: one can admire the sunrise over the sea, enjoy a romantic date with a seafood feast, lighthouses combining with wind turbines and the fusion of classic and modern elements, all offer one unforgettable running experience in Dalian.
To enrich the city experience for runners, Dalian has also introduced a series of preferential cultural and tourism measures, valid until the end of October. This year, there are a number of newly “updated” urban experience projects in Dalian, such as Dongguan Street, which witnesses the development and transformation of the city. Walking through them feels like experiencing the hundred-year history of ancient Dalian. The nationally famous “Gangdong Fifth Street”, known for its beautiful images of “tall ships and skyscrapers in the same frame”, is praised as the most beautiful street in Dalian. Visitors can stroll along the seafront along Suoyu Bay and hear the passionate cheers from the China League One stadium. In addition, one can board the luxurious yacht “Laohutan” departing from the old Dalian harbor pier and enjoy the scenic views and delicious food from the deck.
Veteran runner Kanji ITO, who came all the way from Japan to take part in the Dalian Marathon, told reporters that this is his second time participating in the event. “Every section of the route is particularly beautiful; it feels like we are running through a painting! The citizens of Dalian are particularly enthusiastic and cheer us on throughout the entire race. I also saw many well-known runners from abroad at the start , which underlines the strong attraction potential of the Dalian Marathon.”