Runners from the sister cities receive their finisher's medals. [Photo/WeChat account of XMFAO]
Delegations from Xiamen's international sister cities — Malaysia's Penang, the Republic of Korea's Mokpo, Tajikistan's Dushanbe, and South Africa's Durban — along with its international friendly exchange city of Pyeongtaek in ROK and other cities recently gathered in Xiamen for the 2026 C&D Xiamen Marathon.
At the beginning of each year, representatives from Xiamen's international friendly cities and provinces come together for the Xiamen Marathon. This "first run" of the new year has become an important symbol of the city's interactions with its international partners.
The 2026 Xiamen Marathon commenced on Jan 11 at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center. Joined by 19 runners from Xiamen's international sister and friendly cities, a total of 35,000 participants from 38 countries and regions competed in the event, which is the first World Athletics Platinum Label race of the year.
All 19 invited runners completed the 42-kilometer course. Seven of them finished in under three hours, an impressive feat, while eight achieved new personal bests.
In addition to the race itself, the delegations from various sister cities engaged in extensive exchanges with relevant Xiamen departments and industries. For example, the delegation from the Penang-Xiamen Friendship Association of Malaysia met with the city's Foreign Affairs Office to discuss practical cooperation between the two regions.
The delegations also visited the 7th China Marathon Expo before heading to the Xiamen Sports School, the Xiamen Olympic Sports Center, and various enterprises for a study tour. These visits provided them with an in-depth, first-hand understanding of the development of Xiamen's sports industry.
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