More than 28,000 runners from a total of 38 countries and regions take part in the marathon in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, on Jan 6, 2019. [Photo/ xmim.org]
The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) recently updated its ranking of 2019 world marathons, with Dubai, Tokyo and Seoul marathons taking the top three places.
Two marathons in China placed in the top 10, with the Xiamen Marathon ranking 8th, ahead of the other Chinese marathon.
The Xiamen Marathon has been awarded as an IAAF Gold Label Road Race for 12 consecutive years, since 2008. It is currently applying for a platinum label.
According to the official announcement, the ranking was based on several factors, including athlete scores and world records.
China has decided to extend its visa waiver policy to ordinary passport holders from Canada and the United Kingdom starting from Feb 17.
Forty-one new port-of-entry duty-free shops have been established nationwide, with Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport, Xiamen Wutong Passenger Wharf, and Xiamen International Cruise Center included on the list.
