A photo taken during the previous session

The Beijing International Running Festival–Beijing Half Marathon 2025 will start at 7:30, April 20. Registration started at 20:00 on March 18 and will end at 00:00 on March 22.

This half marathon features both male and female divisions, with a maximum capacity of 20,000 runners. With the starting line at Tian'anmen Square and the finish line at the Scenic Avenue of the central zone of the Olympic Park, the route has a total length of 21.0975 kilometers.

To better support runners in achieving excellent results, this year's half marathon will feature a course with no U-turns. The section after 17.5 kilometers will be prioritized for optimization, which will be more conducive to runners setting good times. The total prize pool has been raised to CNY 730,000, and the awards for record-breaking runners have been set for the first time. The organizing committee plans to invite 35 Chinese and foreign elite runners to the event. To meet runners' diverse needs, the departure zone will be divided into five sections according to the best results reported by runners.

Regarding services for the event, the total number of toilets will reach 886, an increase of 170 compared with the previous year. Wheelchairs and other auxiliary facilities will be prepared beforehand, and a medical observation center will be added in the finish area. Meanwhile, the personal insurance limit for the event will be raised from CNY 300,000 to CNY 500,000.

The road signs at the starting and finish lines will display photos and written records of the previous sessions. The 16,000-square-meter China National Convention Center will host a marathon expo covering various categories such as apparel, food, lodging and transportation. The half marathon this year will include the "Parent-Child Race" again, inviting 800 families, comprising around 3,000 participants, to join the race.

Runners can register through the MARAMARA App, the official websites for registration (beijing-halfmarathon.btime.com; www.beijing-halfmarathon.com; www.beijingrun.cn) or the WeChat Mini Program "Beijing Saishi" (北京赛事). Lots will be drawn to determine eligibility if the total number of the participants registered exceeds the cap.

Contact information:

Tel: 13161117089, 13161115320, 13161119310, 13161119390, 13161110178

Working hours: 9:00-11:30, 13:00-17:30 (except legal holidays)

Website: beijing-halfmarathon.btime.com

Email: beijing-halfmarathon@brtv.org.cn

(Sources: Beijing Daily, Beijing Fabu)