Marathon has become the most popular competition in China. The starting pistol fired on January 2 for the Xiamen International Marathon, the first major marathon of 2016. It joins the Beijing Marathon, Shanghai Marathon, Shenzhen Marathon, Wuhan Marathon, and a number of other Chinese marathon events.
The number of marathons and road running races hosted or co-hosted by the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) in 2015 reached 134, which was a 160% increase compared to the year 2014. 1,500,000 participants from nearly 90 countries and regions attended the events. The marathons in China have covered the four municipalities and 79 cities in 23 provinces and autonomous regions.
