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October 22, 2020

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Nov. 29 date unveiled for scaled-down city marathon

THE 2020 Shanghai Marathon will take place on November 29, organizers announced yesterday.

The annual event will be scaled down from last year’s 38,000 runners to 9,000 in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak. The 10-kilometer and 5.5km races have been cut and the 9,000 runners will run the full 42km distance.

There will be no overseas runners, or runners from high-risk areas, this year. The event has also altered its route with the finishing line at the riverside West Bund Art Center in Xuhui District instead of Shanghai Stadium.

The race will start at 7am from the Bund. Runners will be divided into three groups and start their journey some minutes apart to avoid crowding. The starting area has a space of about 15,000 square meters and runners will be able to keep a 1-meter distance from each other before the race begins.

The new route will make its first turn at Xinkaihe Road instead of the narrower Jinling Road E. Runners will go past city landmarks that include the pedestrian street on Nanjing Road E., People’s Square, Jing’an Temple, and Longhua Temple before reaching the riverside art center.

All participants will have to hand in nucleic acid test reports within seven days ahead of the event. Runners will have their identity cards, temperatures and health codes checked before the race.

“I’m happy that the Shanghai Marathon can go ahead this year under the impact of the pandemic,” said Dr Zhang Wenhong, a leading expert in Shanghai’s fight against the coronavirus.

“I know that Shanghai’s virus-fighting departments have already made preparations and got the city ready for the event. It’s an encouragement for residents as well as a recognition of our pandemic-fight efforts,” he added. “I expect more sports activities to be held in the city if participants follow anti-pandemic requirements.”

Nine food and drink stalls will be set along the closed track but there will be no spectator zones.

Organizers said plans were in place if participants exhibited virus symptoms during the event. They would be taken to a quarantined area and organizers would take measures that include canceling the race if necessary.

Registration has already started and will last until 5pm on Saturday. The 9,000 quotas will be distributed through a draw and the results will be announced on October 27. The entry fee is 100 yuan (US$15) per runner.

The winner will receive 150,000 yuan, with 100,000 and 80,000 yuan earmarked for the second and third finishers, respectively.

Considering the shrunken scale, organizers have introduced a “Shanghai Virtual Run.” Runners who fail to get entry to the marathon can take part in the event via an online form — to complete the distance on any other track and have the procedure recorded through a designated app.

The organizers will select 100 virtual run participants and award them with quotas for next year’s Shanghai Marathon.




 

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