In the picture

Wuxi Marathon provided the right time, the right place and the right people to bring to life the race theme “fast” in 2023.

The 2023 COLMO Wuxi Marathon was a World Athletics Gold Label Race and incorporated the Chinese National Marathon Championships. It acted as the marathon trials for both the World Athletics Championships in Budapest and the Asian Games in Hangzhou. The race boasted some of the fastest times ever run in China including both male and female national marathon records and 1261 people who ran under three hours.

Wuxi Marathon is traditionally held on the third weekend of March – coinciding with the best time to enjoy the cherry blossoms. One of the themes of the event is “people running in the picture” because in the “Jiangnan Pearl” (Wuxi), the course is so picturesque. In recent years the race has built a reputation for the quality of its medals. In 2018 (before covid) Wuxi Marathon’s medals were awarded third place at the AIMS World Congress. In 2023, the creative design of the medal named BLOSSOM once again leading the way.

For someone running in the Wuxi Marathon the most impressive memory might be the typical scenic spots south of the Yangtze River in the first half of the course. The mist rises off the Yuantouzhu peninsula of Lake Tai and early spring’s oriental cherry trees are in full bloom. The first half of Wuxi Marathon’s course includes varied natural and cultural scenery testifying to the race theme. The scenery is so striking that participants may slow their pace to appreciate it, and save their efforts for later.

The second half of the course is for runners to enjoy the fun of running. After 20km the course becomes a “marathon highway”. This is the new city zone with wide, smooth roads and plentiful support points. Runners can freely speed up without concern for the road condition.

Wuxi Marathon’s course is styled as “first narrow, then wide”. Benefitting from the course design, the race has become known as the fastest marathon in China, especially after the fast times in this year’s race. The race organisers believe that more and more runners will target Wuxi as a place to break their personal bests.

Wuxi lies nestling between Changzhou and Suzhou on the banks of Taihu Lake. It was originally established in 202 BCE during the Han dynasty. Later, with the opening of China’s Grand Canal, the city became a hub for rice and textile exports. More recently Wuxi became known for its manufacturing industry but over the last 13 years, the city has developed from a modern industrial and commercial base to an advanced manufacturing city synonymous with the internet of things (IoT).

The ancient city to the south of the Yangtze River is the charm of Wuxi, and the spirit of embracing the new is where it lies. Wuxi is laying out the top 10 industrial ecosystems in the field of intelligence, and is making every effort to build a Wuxi model integrating the development of science, industry, city and people.

In 2024 we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Wuxi Marathon. We hope to share the joy with marathon runners from around the world and hope that Wuxi can become a stage for more runners to surpass themselves in pursuing their dreams.