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The 2013 Beijing International Marathon was just concluded in October. First organized in 1981， the event is an annual race of 42.195 km held each October. It starts at Tiananmen Square and finishes at the National Olympic Sports Center. In addition to the main event， a mini-marathon and a half marathon also take place. It attracted more than 30，000 participants from over 60 countries.
Entering the new century， marathons have begun spreading throughout around China， from fewer than 10 at the end of the 1990s， to around 34 this year. Despite occasional accidents， cities are still passionate about such competitions. On one hand， it could provide the host city many benefits， including a rising reputation and income， while on the other， various disputes have risen regarding this type of events. The following are excerpts of opinions：
Zhang Luping （www.rednet.cn）： In this year’s Beijing Marathon， some people were seen urinating along the road. We all know that marathons are time-consuming sports， so it’s normal to see this kind of occurrence. I have also been to other countries and have noticed similar incidents.
As for the Beijing race， except for a small number of people who did it delib- erately， most could not help themselves. I think it happened due to the lack of lavatories. As far as I could see， only two makeshift toilets serviced the route， causing tremendous queues. This is a problem across the globe.
littering is not just a Beijing problem alone. Though the marathon incident is rather peculiar， the event itself enjoys much support among local residents and sports fans， who are becoming increasingly involved in the competition.
Duan Shijie （Chengdu Business News）： Marathons play a big role in making full use of social resources， providing host cities and residents with huge returns.
Long Guangyan （Chengdu Business News）： The popularity of marathons could first be attributed to the state’s nationwide fitness program. On one hand， the government hopes to encourage more people to get involved in sports， while on the other， investment in these activities should be as limited as possible. Naturally， marathons are undoubtedly the best means to promote nation-wide health.
local government passion for hosting marathons is a big driving force behind the development of such events in China. It also promotes the reputation， popularity and soft power of host cities around the world. Besides， it improves a city’s vitality and encourages residents to take part and be healthy. Marathons help promote a city’s international influence， economic development as well as the exchange and spread of culture.
Lily （www.8264.com）： As major outdoor sporting events， marathons have become important annual occurrences， mobilizing authorities， businesses and the masses alike.
Take the 2010 New York Marathon for example. About 1 million people participated in the race， with 62，370 gallons of water and 32，040 of sports drinks provided， alongside 2.3 million paper cups.
These figures show that many wise businesses are discovering the financial opportunities invested in marathon events， which provide massive platforms for brand promotion.
Nowadays， many companies even encourage their employees to participate in local races to promote their corporate images.
Meng Qi （China Sports Daily）： Following three decades of development， the Beijing International Marathon is seeing increased participation every year. Since 2011， its organizing committee has expanded the quota from 8，000 to 15，000. Gradually， the race has grown into a top international sporting event.
Its rising reputation has made the Beijing Marathon increasingly attractive to various businesses， including Beijing Hyundai Motor Co.， which signed an official cooperation treaty with the organizing committee in 2011. Over the past three years， the company has actively involved itself in a series of public welfare activities and online initiatives， considerably boosting “the second take-off”of its brand image.
Guo Hua （The Beijing News）： Due to traffic controls implemented for the sake of the annual Beijing International Marathon， congestion in certain places caused serious problems.
As one of the world’s 10 most famous races， the Beijing International Marathon is now regarded as part of the city’s culture. However， with most routes spanning downtown areas， the public is increasingly disturbed， particularly due to traffic issues， raising questions as to whether the event could be moved elsewhere.
When the marathon first came to Beijing in 1981， traffic was not as big a headache as it is today. With the downtown region already well known for hosting international events， why not move the marathon to the suburbs？ This could promote development and cause less trouble. More importantly， participants could perhaps breathe cleaner air and appre- ciate the beautiful scenery.
Indeed， london， New York and paris all host such races right in their centers. However， we must recognize that these cities enjoy much better traffic conditions compared to Beijing， which should be wary of blindly copying others in organizing sporting events.
Kicking off the race in the Tiananmen Square is rather questionable as， due to the lack of makeshift toilets， participants often resort to urinating in public. It is evident that more supportive services and facilities are needed along the route.
Entering the new century， marathons have begun spreading throughout around China， from fewer than 10 at the end of the 1990s， to around 34 this year. Despite occasional accidents， cities are still passionate about such competitions. On one hand， it could provide the host city many benefits， including a rising reputation and income， while on the other， various disputes have risen regarding this type of events. The following are excerpts of opinions：
Zhang Luping （www.rednet.cn）： In this year’s Beijing Marathon， some people were seen urinating along the road. We all know that marathons are time-consuming sports， so it’s normal to see this kind of occurrence. I have also been to other countries and have noticed similar incidents.
As for the Beijing race， except for a small number of people who did it delib- erately， most could not help themselves. I think it happened due to the lack of lavatories. As far as I could see， only two makeshift toilets serviced the route， causing tremendous queues. This is a problem across the globe.
littering is not just a Beijing problem alone. Though the marathon incident is rather peculiar， the event itself enjoys much support among local residents and sports fans， who are becoming increasingly involved in the competition.
Duan Shijie （Chengdu Business News）： Marathons play a big role in making full use of social resources， providing host cities and residents with huge returns.
Long Guangyan （Chengdu Business News）： The popularity of marathons could first be attributed to the state’s nationwide fitness program. On one hand， the government hopes to encourage more people to get involved in sports， while on the other， investment in these activities should be as limited as possible. Naturally， marathons are undoubtedly the best means to promote nation-wide health.
local government passion for hosting marathons is a big driving force behind the development of such events in China. It also promotes the reputation， popularity and soft power of host cities around the world. Besides， it improves a city’s vitality and encourages residents to take part and be healthy. Marathons help promote a city’s international influence， economic development as well as the exchange and spread of culture.
Lily （www.8264.com）： As major outdoor sporting events， marathons have become important annual occurrences， mobilizing authorities， businesses and the masses alike.
Take the 2010 New York Marathon for example. About 1 million people participated in the race， with 62，370 gallons of water and 32，040 of sports drinks provided， alongside 2.3 million paper cups.
These figures show that many wise businesses are discovering the financial opportunities invested in marathon events， which provide massive platforms for brand promotion.
Nowadays， many companies even encourage their employees to participate in local races to promote their corporate images.
Meng Qi （China Sports Daily）： Following three decades of development， the Beijing International Marathon is seeing increased participation every year. Since 2011， its organizing committee has expanded the quota from 8，000 to 15，000. Gradually， the race has grown into a top international sporting event.
Its rising reputation has made the Beijing Marathon increasingly attractive to various businesses， including Beijing Hyundai Motor Co.， which signed an official cooperation treaty with the organizing committee in 2011. Over the past three years， the company has actively involved itself in a series of public welfare activities and online initiatives， considerably boosting “the second take-off”of its brand image.
Guo Hua （The Beijing News）： Due to traffic controls implemented for the sake of the annual Beijing International Marathon， congestion in certain places caused serious problems.
As one of the world’s 10 most famous races， the Beijing International Marathon is now regarded as part of the city’s culture. However， with most routes spanning downtown areas， the public is increasingly disturbed， particularly due to traffic issues， raising questions as to whether the event could be moved elsewhere.
When the marathon first came to Beijing in 1981， traffic was not as big a headache as it is today. With the downtown region already well known for hosting international events， why not move the marathon to the suburbs？ This could promote development and cause less trouble. More importantly， participants could perhaps breathe cleaner air and appre- ciate the beautiful scenery.
Indeed， london， New York and paris all host such races right in their centers. However， we must recognize that these cities enjoy much better traffic conditions compared to Beijing， which should be wary of blindly copying others in organizing sporting events.
Kicking off the race in the Tiananmen Square is rather questionable as， due to the lack of makeshift toilets， participants often resort to urinating in public. It is evident that more supportive services and facilities are needed along the route.