Runners can start to warm up for this year's marathon
The 2021 Shanghai Marathon will be held on November 28 at a double scale compared with last year's edition.
A total of 18,000 runners will take part in this year's competition. Among them, 13,000 will compete in the 42-kilometer full marathon, while the rest take part in the shorter health run.
Under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, last year's event was scaled down from 2019's 38,000 runners to 9,000. The 10km and 5.5km races were also canceled.
For the 2021 version, the number of participants has been partially resumed. The races will start at 7am from the Bund. Runners will be divided into four groups and start their journey some minutes apart to avoid crowding.
The organizers launch the 2021 Shanghai Marathon during a ceremony at the Bund where the race will start.
The route of the 42km marathon will remain the same as last year. Runners will go past city landmarks including the pedestrian street on Nanjing Road E, People's Square, Jing'an Temple and Longhua Temple before reaching the finishing line at the riverside West Bund Art Center in Xuhui District.
The health run will finish at Jing'an Park. The route covers about 5.5 kilometers, though a specific distance is yet to be confirmed as minor adjustments might be made to the route.
Despite the absence of elite runners from overseas, this year's event will invite top Chinese athletes that have taken part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and the 14th National Games.
The prize money has been set at 150,000 yuan (US$ 23,310) for the male and female winners, and 100,000 and 80,000 yuan for the second and third finishers.
Marathon finishers will receive a T-shirt at the finishing line. Those who complete the race within 3 hours will be rewarded with a jacket.
Registration will last till 5pm on Monday. The quotas will be distributed through a draw and the results will be announced on October 22.
The entry fee is 100 yuan for each marathon runner and 60 yuan for each health run participant. For foreign runners, it's 300 yuan and 200 yuan.
All participants will have to hand in nucleic acid test reports within three days ahead of the event. All front-tier staff are required to have a COVID-19 vaccine and hand in nucleic acid test reports within two days ahead.
Those who fail to get entry to the races can take part in the event through an online form – to complete the distance on any other track and have the procedure recorded through a designated app. One hundred selected virtual runners will be awarded with quotas for next year's Shanghai Marathon.
