Runners compete during the Guangming Half Marathon on Nov. 5.

The half marathon returned to Guangming District after a three-year hiatus, Bao'an Daily reported.

The 2023 Shenzhen Guangming Half Marathon started with a gunshot on Chalin Road, south of Hongqiao Park, on Nov. 5. Over 10,000 runners participated in the event, which was also the first marathon event in Guangdong Province in the second half of the year.

The competition featured two races: half marathon and healthy running. Registration started Sept. 28 and lasted until Oct. 15, attracting a total of 21,000 runners from China, the U.S., Japan, Serbia, Ethiopia, and other countries.

Eventually, 11,219 runners hit the road – 8,240 for the half marathon and 2,979 for the healthy running event. 

After fierce competition, Chala Gurmessa Lema from Ethiopia was crowned the men's champion, clocking at 1:07:32; while Chen Liqin from Guangdong Province was crowned the women's champion at 1:22:01.

One hundred and fourteen referees and 1,000 student volunteers mainly from Sun Yat-sen University (Shenzhen Campus) made sure the event ran smoothly. Runners were provided enough supplies along the route, with four beverage stations, three drinking or water stations, and two energy supply stations, providing 12,000 bananas and 10,000 energy gels. A total of 30 mobile toilets have also been set up along the route.

The Shenzhen Guangming Half Marathon is not just a road running race, it also has several supporting events such as elite running group PK competitions, healthy running, event expos, light marathon online races, and other events to provide more options for road running enthusiasts to enjoy the day.

The organizing committee teamed up with high-quality merchants and enterprises in Guangming's various fields such as food, attractions, hotels, and culture to launch activities to meet the runners' needs for parent-child interaction and one-stop consumption of "race, food, shopping, and entertainment."