Hangzhou holds four half-marathons and shows its readiness for the Asian Games 2022

Hangzhou, the host city for the Asian Games 2022, recently staged four half-marathons in various parts of the city in preparation for the multi-sport event.

Dream Town Half Marathon 2023 (Credits - Hangzhou 2022 website)
By Abhiruchi Rout | Mar 29, 2023 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Hangzhou, the host city for the Asian Games 2022, recently staged four half-marathons in various parts of the city in preparation for the multi-sport event. According to the organizers, the successful hosting of four half-marathons on the same day not only sparks a national fitness craze but also contributes to the development of a positive Asian Games atmosphere.

The passionate response and attendance for the day’s festivities, which marked another significant step in the run-up to the Asian Games in 2022, delighted the event’s organizers. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the Games from 2022, and the opening ceremony is set for September 23, this year. The half-marathons were only a few of the numerous activities being done to promote excitement and curiosity for the upcoming Games.

There will be over 482 events across 40 sports at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022, and over 10,000 competitors from all around Asia are anticipated to compete. The Games will be held in 2023 from September 23 to October 8. The Games are a significant sports event in the area, and nations involved view them as a prime opportunity to display their sporting prowess and sense of national pride.

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Where did the half marathons take place and their results?

The one half marathon started in Lin’an at the Sports, Culture, and Exhibition Centre, which will host taekwondo and wrestling activities at the Asian Games. The event also featured appearances by the mascots of the Asian Games, Chenchen, Congcong, and Lianlian. Yan Shimin, a Chinese rower who won the world championship in lightweight double sculls in 2006, was present at the starting line to watch the runners begin their course. The winning time was 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 48 seconds, set by Yang Dinghong of Tengchong, Yunnan province.

Another event, the Dream Town Half Marathon, attracted 7,141 runners to the Sci-Tech City area. In addition, the event included virtual reality “Pathfinder” and “Parent and Child” runs and three-dimensional immersive technology. There were 2,375 competitors in the Dream Run race. A “Cherry Blossom Run” was held in Binjiang, where all participants ran to the Big Lotus, also known as the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, which will serve as the focal point of the Asian Games. The run started at the Binjiang overseas high-level talent innovation and entrepreneurship base.

10,000 runners from all across the nation competed in the fourth and last competition of the day which was a half-marathon for women at Qianting. Pan Hong from the coastal city of Taizhou won the competition in a duration of 1 hour, 18 minutes, and 18 seconds. Liu Min, a former national champion in the women’s marathon, won the competition in 1 hour and 11 minutes.

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