2025 Fuzhou Marathon kicks off to show the charm of one of the most livable cities

As the starting gun fired at 7:30 a.m. of December 14, the 2025 Fuzhou Marathon kicked off at the May 1st Square. 35,000 runners from across the country gathered together to communicate the theme “Enjoying Good Fortune by Participating in Fuzhou Marathon” with their footsteps and perspiration. The event was hosted by the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government and certified by the Chinese Athletic Association (CAA).

Among 35,000 participants, 20,000 competed in the full-marathon race and the remaining 15,000 attended the semi-marathon race. Ranking among the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) gold label road race events and the Chinese Athletic Association (CAA) A1-grade events, this year’s Fuzhou marathon was fully upgraded in terms of organization, contestant services, culture-tourism integration and the enabling role of science and technology.

In a bid to work out a featured route on which runners can know more about the city, the event made some improvements in a targeted way while retaining sections where classic landmarks can be seen. This year’s event set the starting point at the May 1st Square. After departure, runners crossed Jiefang Bridge over the Minjiang River, went past Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, Shangxiahang, Heart of Minjiang River, Yantai Mountain, and finally reached Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center. The entire track, which stretches 42.195km, was not only for racing, but also for making a thorough tour around the city. On the racing track which was divided by the Minjiang River, and combined both modern and ancient elements, there were both professional veterans and first-timers running with steady steps amid cheering volunteers and audiences.

Statistics show that 220 contestants in the Fuzhou Marathon were aged over 65. 24,610 contestants came from places outside Fuzhou, accounting for 70.3%. 15,906 were from places outside Fujian Province, representing 45.4% of the total number. The remotest place in China where participants came from was Kashi, Xinjiang. 3,460 contestants were from Zhejiang Province, the most among provinces other than Fujian. The top three sources of participants in Fujian Province were Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Xiamen. As many as 5,646 contestants could meet criteria for elite runners.

The 2025 Fuzhou Marathon was not only a sports event, but an event to showcase the city’s culture and promote cultural and tourism resources in a comprehensive way. The marathon event enabled more people to know about Fuzhou, get fond of Fuzhou and see the charm of one of most livable cities for 2025. Furthermore, this year’s event launched the dedicated route for “marathon racing+sightseeing”, and collaborated with such cultural tourism landmarks as Zuohai Park and the Scenic Spot along the banks of the Minjiang River in a bid to help improve Fuzhou’s reputation and influence as a “blessed city”. (Text by Chen Jian, Photo by Chen Nuan)