DONGGUAN, China, Nov. 22, 2017 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--
On
November 26, the 16th Asian Marathon Championships & Dongguan
International Marathon 2017 under the theme "Beautiful Dongguan,
Thrilling Marathon" will kick off in Dongguan, China. The coming feast
draws nearly 30,000 runners, including 49 professional athletes from 22
Asian countries and regions such as Japan, Republic of Korea, DPRK and
India.
As Asia's only intercontinental competition, the Asian
Marathon Championships for this year will be held along with the
Dongguan International Marathon. The competition consists of 4 events,
namely the full marathon, half-marathon, mini-marathon and Carnival Fun
Run, open to professional or amateur contestants, spreading joy and
passion. While the city has been enhancing its soft power over the past
three years, the organizing committee has also shaped a better
environment along the tracks. The move is designed to showcase the charm
of Dongguan as an international city famed for intelligent
manufacturing and ecological balance. "The tracks were officially
approved for use by the International Association of Athletics
Federations and the Asian Athletics Association. This also shows
Dongguan's abilities to press ahead with ecological development and city
management," said Fu Weibo, deputy director of competition department
of Athletics Administrative Center, General Administration of Sport of
China.
Dongguan is traditionally well-known as "City of Sports",
specifically a homeland of swimming, weight-lifting and dragon boat.
With its highly professional strength, the city has fostered an enabling
atmosphere for the public to get exercise over years and saw various
international sporting events, including FIBA Basketball World Cup,
World Cup of Golf and BWF Sudirman Cup. While putting its economy on a
fast track, Dongguan has long focused on ecological construction and
environmental protection, said Yang Xiaotang, publicity chief of the CPC
Dongguan Municipal Committee. Holding marathon championships and other
large-scale sport events, he added, will take its sport-for-all program
to a higher level. On top of that, it will help citizens appreciate the
city's natural landscapes, cultural heritage and achievements in
development when they engage in sports in a scientific way. This is how
Dongguan emerges as a magnet of global talents.
By hosting the
16th Asian Marathon Championships, Dongguan will boost its sporting and
cultural programs as a more confident and vibrant city. This will
attract more attention from all communities on running races and excite
further interest in exercise and health. It's self-evident that the
running public will make the city stand confident while promoting
fitness and vitality that Dongguan has always enjoyed.
SOURCE: The Organizing Committee of the 16th Asian Marathon Championships
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