Participants in a race in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, in May.  Gao Dianhua / For China Daily

Fitness, fad and finance combine as participation skyrockets

In its 34th year, the Beijing International Marathon has drawn more than 60,000 hopeful participants in a registration period of only two weeks.

Yet the country's oldest race is capped at 30,000 runners, a number filled in less than 13 hours after registration opened last year.

So organizers have canceled the first-come, first-served policy to make sure more professional runners get the chance to hit the road.

"We have extended the registration period and cut participants to 30,000 based on their former achievements in marathon competitions, age, gender and nationalities," said Li Teng, publicity officer at China Olympic Road Running, one of the organizers of the race.

"The quota of 30,000 runners for the race was filled in 13 hours last year, compared to 180 hours in 2012 and one month in 2011," said Li.

"The registration period was also extended to make sure the website doesn't crash."

And Beijing is not alone.

'New cool'

The 2014 Guangzhou Marathon set for Nov 23 has already attracted some 50,000 applicants for its 20,000 slots, so whether they will run or not is determined by a lottery system.

The most senior hopeful is 83 years old, according to the Guangzhou sports authority.

Participating in marathon races has long been popular around the world, but it was only in recent years that the long-distance sport gained wide popularity in China. It has even become a fashion icon and the "new cool" for many Chinese.

According to Zhang Qing, founder of Key-Sports consulting agency, there will be 54 marathon races on the China's mainland this year. The figure in 2013 was around 36, triple that of 2010.

Low entry barrier

Roger Robinson, a former world-class runner, once said no other sport has lower entry barriers, describing running as the most accessible, cheapest and easily organized sport.

Zhang noted that "you don't need many facilities or much equipment - a pair of shoes and you go hit the road, young and old, women and guys".

The growing number of marathons nationwide is also due to the country's economic development and rapid expansion of a middle class that is more than ever keen on staying healthy and fit.

"After the GDP reaches a certain level, local people tend to have urges for moderate pleasures," said Zhang.

China now has up to 300 million people focused on healthy and fit lifestyles, most of them in highly developed cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, he said.

Another reason is the "halo effect" of a long-distance race - its impressive image, said Zhang.

"The hard-to-get ticket for the Beijing International Marathon has also made it more than popular," he noted.

Begun in 1981, the Beijing marathon was at first open to only professionals. Amateur runners began participating in 1998, with a half-marathon, 10-kilometer and mini-marathon held to involve more participants.

When the number of participants surged to 38,000 from a few hundred in 1999, the organizing committee started to charge entry fees in line with international practices.

Then as popularity skyrocketed, the committee dropped the mini-marathon popular with amateurs to make sure the race attracted world-class athletes and reached an international level.