The Beijing Half Marathon which took place on Sunday attracted a historic high of nearly 170,000 pre-registrations, fueling a surge in demand for marathon-related gear and hospitality services across the capital city over the race weekend.
The 2025 Beijing International Long Run Festival-Half Marathon, which also featured the first humanoid robot half-marathon, kicked off at 07:30 on Sunday morning, with 20,000 runners at the starting line.
At a sports equipment store in the Beijing Half Marathon Expo, participants were seen upgrading their gear ahead of the race.
"I brought my wife and child along, and we are staying here for four to five days. Running is just part of our plan, and we are here mainly to enjoy springtime in Beijing. We have a budget of around 10,000 yuan (about 1,369 U.S. dollars), and I will also take my child to the Great Wall and Palace Museum," said Mr. Wang, a half-marathon participant.
The marathon's ripple effects extended beyond athletics. In the city's Asian Games Village commercial hub near the finish line, crowds flooded local restaurants after the race, eager to replenish their energy and reward themselves with a sumptuous buffet.
"Every time we finish a race, we like to gather around the table, review the race together and share our experiences. I enjoy this form of social contact," said Han, a participant.
"Over this weekend, the number of customers has increased by about 80 percent compared with last weekend. People are queuing for lunch and dinner," said Tian Zhiguo, operations director at a chain restaurant.
Hotels in the city also saw a boost in revenue driven by the marathon event.
"The marathon event has contributed to the increase of our hotel's turnover as well. The overall occupancy rate increased by about 30 percent compared to last week, and about 20 percent of the guests are marathon runners," said Du Huanteng, a staff member at a chain hotel.
Beijing half marathon spurs spending on running gear, hospitality
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia is fully prepared and willing to negotiate with Ukraine at a U.S. military facility in Anchorage, Alaska, while his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a face-to-face meeting.
Putin noted that Russia is ready to accept those compromises discussed by the Russian and U.S. leaders during their Anchorage meeting last August, but stressed that Ukraine must also consent, and then the conflict will quickly come to a natural conclusion.
Ukraine has previously rejected the Anchorage framework, as it calls for Ukraine to cede territory.
Russia's Presidential Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev said at the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday that despite efforts by forces seeking to prolong the war to disrupt talks between Russia and the U.S., bilateral engagement on Ukraine has made substantive progress.
Dmitriev dismissed reports that Russia-U.S. contacts have stalled, accusing other European nations of spreading disinformation to hinder the peace process.
Dmitriev also said that on Wednesday he had spoken by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner and discussed bilateral economic cooperation.
He said the U.S. side had underscored the need to embrace peace rather than engage in constant provocations and confrontations.
The U.S. has been pushing for peace and Ukraine should join the process, Dmitriev noted, adding there were plans for further contacts with Witkoff and Kushner next week.
Later on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published an open letter to Putin, proposing to end the conflict through direct talks between the two leaders.
Relevant parties, including European countries and the U.S., should be part of the peace negotiations, the letter stated.
Ukraine is ready for a complete ceasefire during the talks and proposes an exchange of prisoners of war on the principle of "all for all," Zelensky also said in the letter.
Russia ready to talk with Ukraine at U.S. military base: Putin
