Shenzhen Marathon to return Feb. 19 with a makeover

Models show the official apparel and finisher's medals for this year's Shenzhen Marathon during a launch ceremony this morning. Liu Xudong 

After a three-year hiatus, the long-awaited Shenzhen Marathon is set to return with a new theme, a new course and new standards, the organizers said at a press conference held at the Civic Center in Futian District today.

The HONOR•Shenzhen Marathon 2022, sponsored by local smartphone brand HONOR, will take place Feb. 19, starting at 7:30 a.m. at the Civic Center.

According to Wang Zhiqiang, an official with the Shenzhen Municipal Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, this year’s event will take “New Shenzhen Marathon in the New Era” as its theme, which highlights the city’s founding values of “pioneering spirit, openness and inclusiveness, pragmatism, and pursuit of excellence” and reflects the image of a healthy, energetic and hardworking Shenzhen citizenry.

A total of 20,000 participants are expected to run this year’s marathon. Among them, 10,000 are full marathon racers (including 300 running groups) from 14 countries and regions, with 34 being foreign nationals and 78 from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. The remaining 10,000 half marathon runners are from 23 countries and regions. Among them, 48 are foreign nationals and 100 are from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, according to Wang.

Wang said the Shenzhen Marathon 2022 will have a new, upgraded course that starts at the Civic Center and spans Futian, Nanshan, Bao’an districts and the Qianhai area, and includes Shennan Boulevard, West Shahe Road and Wanghai Road.

A route map of this year's Shenzhen Marathon.

According to Wang, the new standards mean that the new operator Shenzhen Sports Industry Group will be preparing for and serving the event in accordance with higher standards and quality.

Lin Yangzhi, general manager of the Shenzhen Sports Industry Group Co., revealed at the press conference that there will be adequate security personnel, medical workers and volunteers to ensure the safety of the event. Lin added that this year’s event will employ high-tech means such as the metaverse, Internet of Things (IoT) and AI recognition technology, in a bid to make the marathon more interactive and efficient and ensure a level playing field.

Lin also mentioned that from Feb. 16 to 18, a marathon expo featuring themed activities will take place at the Civic Center and residents are welcome to visit and enjoy the fun of sports.

Following the press conference, the racers’ outfits and the finisher’s medals were officially unveiled at a launch ceremony. The full marathon finisher’s medals for this year’s race is gold, while the finisher's medal for the half marathon is silver. The front side of the medals shows the landscape of Shenzhen’s mountains and sea, with images of the city’s iconic landmarks including the Civic Center, Lianhua Hill, the Ping An Finance Center and the China Resources Tower. On the back are the route maps of this year's marathon race.