Shanghai Half Marathon 2023

The major international and domestic competitions in Shanghai have fully resumed this spring. Early on Sunday morning, the Shanghai Half Marathon, the most important in the Shanghai Marathon series, fired its guns and started.

At 7 o'clock on the morning of Sunday April 16, the 2023 Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Shanghai Half Marathon started, and the runners’ increasing pace once again ignited the liveliness of the city. Xu Bin, Director of Shanghai Sports Bureau, Zheng Yang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Shanghai Bank Pudong Development, Sun Yu, Deputy Director of Publicity Department of Shanghai Pudong New Area, Director of Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Ni Jin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Donghao Lansheng (Group) Co., Ltd., Xiao Jiale, Managing Director of Adidas Greater China and other leaders and guests jointly fired the gun for the 2023 Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Shanghai Half Marathon. Luo Wenhua, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Sports Bureau, presided over the starting ceremony.
After three rounds of shooting, 15,000 half-marathon runners set off from Fenghe Road in Pudong, ran past urban landmarks such as Little Lujiazui, the World Expo Section, Qiantan Park, etc., catching up with the speed of Pudong’s development with their feet, and feeling the establishment of Pudong 33 years ago with their running.

The finish line of this year's event is located at the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Oriental Sports Center. Ezra Kipketer TANUl, a male runner from Kenya, crossed the finish line first and won the 2023 Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Shanghai Half Marathon Men's Championship with a time of 1 hour, 01 minutes and 52 seconds. Surprisingly, the women's race record was broken by the Ethiopian Alemaddis Eyayu SISAY, who won the women's championship with a time of 1 hour, 10 minutes and 15 seconds. It is worth mentioning that, in addition to receiving cash checks and flowers from the organizing committee, the new record holders also received the Bund No. 12 Art Porcelain Plate and 30th Anniversary Celebration Postal Package from Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, the title sponsor of the event. After 3 hours and 15 minutes, the 2023 Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Shanghai Half Marathon was concluded. According to the chip timing statistics of the organizing committee, the completion rate of this event reached 98.31.

The starting gun for the half marathon was fired in Pudong for the seventh time. Behind the event’s success is the unremitting dedication of thousands of staff members in different positions and the service standard in professionalism and efficiency is comparable to the Shanghai Marathon Platinum Label event, while extraordinary stories were written by all the ordinary Shanghai marathon people.

The youthful figures with the waistcoats have always been a beautiful landscape along the track. This year's Shanghai Half Marathon was supported by 1872 volunteers from 7 universities including Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai University of Sports and Shanghai Communications Polytechnic, who served in 46 different positions such as inspection, starting point management, and ranking records, serving every runner vigorously.

Safety is the number one priority of every running race. A total of 5 medical stations were set up at the start and end of the race, and 18 medical stations were set up along the way, equipped with 18 ambulances; Renji Hospital, Dongfang Hospital, Dongfang Hospital South Branch, Punan Hospital, and Zhongshan Hospital contributed to the race’s smooth conduct. The designated hospital for the competition will follow the unified command and transfer the wounded runners according to the principle of the nearest. During the event, 23 groups of professional doctors equipped with AEDs and volunteer riding emergency teams escorted the event. Volunteers and staff are also arranged at the medical aid points and water stations along the route to assist in medical aid and maintain the order of the competition and can help contestants in need at any time.

The organizing committee also maintained close communication with the Shanghai Pudong New Area Meteorological Observatory to provide weather reports for the event starting 10 days before the event. On the day of the competition, the temperature was as high as 25°C. The organizing committee had made sufficient plans in advance, equipped with 3 ice stations, 6 spray stations, and 2 fog cannons along the way to help the contestants cool down physically quickly.

Various supply stations were set up along the track according to relevant requirements. The drink/water station provided runners with water and electrolyte supplements; the drink/water station allowed runners to cool down in time with a sponge soaked in cold water; the energy supply station provided energy gels, bananas, and chocolate. After the race, the organizing committee prepared supplements such as SAVAS protein milk and little corn for the runners, as well as various massage and relaxation services such as relaxers and ice water soaks to help the runners relieve fatigue and quickly recover their physical fitness.

The medal design of this year's event is also unique. It is composed of two triangles with a sense of speed, creating an upward shape of an infinite symbol, symbolizing the endless spirit of the marathon. The two triangles on the left and right represent the city and the runners respectively. The word "2" is like a link, bringing together the city and the runners. It is matched with a four-piece set of Pudong landmarks and the theme of the event, and the word "Shen" is highlighted to strengthen the city mark of Shanghai. The medal listing service continued at the finish line, and the young volunteers with the waistcoats hung up exclusive medals for every half-marathon warrior who crossed the finish line, and the "congratulations for finishing the race" became the sincerest blessing of the organizing committee. In addition, the finishing videos, which are popular among runners, will also be launched one after another 4 days after the race, leaving a runner-only commemoration of the 2023 Shanghai Half Marathon.

The event is hosted by Shanghai Sports Federation and Donghao Lansheng (Group) Co., Ltd., organized by Shanghai Donghao Lansheng Event Management Co., Ltd., and co-organized by Shanghai Distance Running Association and Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower Co., Ltd. The Half-Marathon was held thanks to the title sponsor Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, official partners Adidas Sports (China) Co., Ltd., IM Automobile Technology Co., Ltd., official sponsor Shanghai Foreign Service Holding Group Co., Ltd., official supporter China Resources C’estbon Beverage (China) Co., Ltd., and the strong support from Taiping Life Insurance Co., Ltd. and Meiji (China) Investment Co., Ltd.