The run with fun

A superhero reveals his identity as he races along Nanjing Road East. Photo: Cai Xianmin/GT

Usually packed with cars, marathon runners take over Huaihai Road Sunday. Photo: Cai Xianmin/GT

A camel and two keepers keep the pace. Photo: Cai Xianmin/GT

At 7 am Sunday, when most people were still asleep, some 35,000 were very wide-awake and braving the chilling breezes and morning haze to take part in the 18th Shanghai International Marathon. The record number of runners came from 84 countries and regions and included 5,558 foreigners, a sixth of the field. More than 30 of the marathon participants were professionals who were invited to take part.

Of the major annual city marathons in the world the Boston Marathon is the oldest, the Berlin Marathon holds the world record and the New York City Marathon attracts the most runners. The first Shanghai marathon was run in 1996 when 5,000 took part and today, after 17 years it has developed its own character.

The theme of this year's Shanghai Marathon was "A city of running, a festival of people," and the route took the contestants past many of the city's most historic buildings. The race began at Chenyi Square on the Bund, then carried on along Zhongshandongyi Road, Jinling Road East then along Nanjing Road West where runners separated for different destinations. The finish line for the full and half marathons was the Shanghai Sports Stadium. The 10-kilometer run ended at Fuxing Park and the mini marathon ended at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

There is a festive air about the marathon in Shanghai with many of the runners dressing in uniforms or colorful costumes. The participants included Chinese terracotta warriors, astronauts in spacesuits and several animal species. Runners joked and laughed as they congratulated each other on their costumes.

Runner number 55488 was 33-year-old Yu Lei who ran the 10-kilometer race with his wife Shen Wei, both dressed in identical sky-blue fleecy tops and shiny red running shoes. "Actually we wanted to do the half but it was booked out so we settled for the 10-kilometer run."

Yu said running has become a lifestyle for his family. "Previously my favorite sport was cycling and my wife skipped to stay fit. But now we run together almost every night. Running has become a shared hobby and a habit." Yu said that several years ago he had been given a health warning after a company medical examination and this had driven him to improve his health.

Most contestants talked to told the Global Times, they had not set targets for themselves but just wanted to enjoy the run and the city in the early morning - like two popular slogans seen on T-shirts at the marathon, "Run for Health" and "Run for Happiness."

Among yesterday's runners was Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., the son of the former president of the International Olympic Committee who ran the 10-kilometer event with his wife. He said running was great fun and running a marathon was the fastest and most direct way to get to know a city.

Because he had completed the full New York marathon recently he chose to run the 10-kilometer event in Shanghai. "But 10 kilometers is not long enough so I will come back to Shanghai again and again to run longer here."

A 49-year-old Hong Kong resident surnamed Wong was one of the 8,000 full-marathon runners. He has run three marathons in Japan before this and flew in by himself to run in Shanghai. "Shanghai is a beautiful city and the Shanghai Marathon fitted my schedule."

South African Stephen Mokoka won the Shanghai Marathon completing the 42 kilometers in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 30 seconds. All of the top five runners came in under 2 hours, 10 minutes. Mokoka said he first ran in Shanghai in the 2011 marathon and this was his second time in the city - but he was very happy with the win. Ethiopian Aberu Kebede Shewaye won the women's marathon with a final time of 2 hours, 23 minutes and 28 seconds (this year 33 percent of the competitors were women).

All the runners in the marathon and half marathon wore a timing chip and 97.7 percent of the particpants in the half marathon completed the race. The completion rate for the full marathon was 94.1 percent.

Along the route, making life as easy as it could be, the Shanghai Marathon organizing committee provided 112,000 bottles of water and chocolate and snacks for those who finished. The number of mobile toilets for the runners was increased from last year's 190 to 266.

Along with police, ambulance and traffic departments 2,500 staff helped the marathon go smoothly, together with 300 stewards and 2,000 volunteers. It is reported that 40 percent of this year's marathon runners were men aged between 20 and 40.