The 2020 Shanghai International Marathon kicked off at 7 a.m. here on Sunday. Jia Erenjia and Li Zhixuan from China won the crown for male and female runners respectively.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's event only included the full marathon of 42.195 kilometers with 9,000 participants drawn from 120,000 applicants. No foreign elites were invited in accordance with the epidemic control regulations.
Jia completed the whole race in two hours, 12 minutes and 44 seconds, while Li crossed the finishing line with a result of 2:26:39.
"After a long time of training and waiting, I finally took part in a race amid the pandemic. It was not easy, but I am happy to get this result," said Jia.
This year's route starts from the Bund Bull Square and ends at the West Bund Art Center, which covers famous scenic spots in Shanghai including People's Square, Nanjing Road and Jing'an Temple.
The organizers set up 26 medical service spots equipped with 200 medical staff and 20 ambulances along the route. In addition, 3,872 volunteers and near 400 referees served the runners during the race.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Shanghai International Marathon was listed as a Platinum Label Road Race by the World Athletics in March.