At 7:30 a.m. on December 31, 20,000 runners from 23 countries and regions started from the Central Park of Hengqin Financial Island, with the sound of the starting gun, to participate in the fifth anniversary of the Hengqin Marathon with their running steps, and draw the flowing scenery of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone (hereinafter referred to as the Cooperation Zone) in Hengqin!

This year's competition is certified by the Chinese Athletics Association, hosted by the Executive Committee of the Cooperation Zone, undertaken by Zhuhai Huafa Group Co., Ltd. and Nam Kwong (Group) Co., Ltd., operated by Zhuhai Huafa Sports Operation Management Co., Ltd. and Nam Kwong Cultural and Creative Industry Co., Ltd., supported by the Macau Athletics Association, and guided by the Guangdong Provincial Athletics Association.

After fierce competition, Zhang Zhihao, a runner from Chongqing, China, won the men's marathon championship with a time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 28 seconds (gunshots); TWO RUNNERS FROM ETHIOPIA, ADUGNA SULTAN ALEMU AND URGA ARARISA NEGEWO, FINISHED SECOND AND THIRD IN THE MEN'S MARATHON CATEGORY RESPECTIVELY.

LEAH CHERUTO from Kenya won the women's marathon with a time of 2 hours, 33 minutes and 19 seconds (gunshots), breaking the race record! Yao Yuzhou from Anhui, China, and Yang Mengqi from Beijing, China, won the second and third places respectively in the women's marathon category.

THE HALF MARATHON WAS EQUALLY COMPETITIVE, WITH SOLOMON KOECH FROM Kenya WINNING THE MEN'S HALF MARATHON WITH A TIME OF 1 HOUR, 5 MINUTES 53 SECONDS (GUNFIRE); DAWIT GASHIT ABEBE FROM ETHIOPIA AND DI JUN FROM NANJING, CHINA WON THE SECOND AND THIRD PLACES RESPECTIVELY IN THE MEN'S HALF MARATHON GROUP.

LEMLEM ABEBE ASEFA FROM ETHIOPIA WON THE WOMEN'S HALF MARATHON WITH A TIME OF 1 HOUR, 16 MINUTES AND 14 SECONDS (GUNSHOTS). GUO LIA FROM SHANXI, CHINA, AND TESFAW ETALEM TEREFE FROM ETHIOPIA WON THE SECOND AND THIRD PLACES RESPECTIVELY IN THE WOMEN'S HALF MARATHON CATEGORY.

In 2018, 10,410 players set off from the Hengqin International Tennis Center to pursue their dreams on the development road of Hengqin; In 2023, 20,000 contestants will set off from the Central Park of Hengqin Financial Island and move forward bravely in the charm of the cooperation zone. In the past five years, what has changed is the rapid change of this mountain island city at the forefront of reform and opening up, and what has not changed is tens of thousands of smiles full of love for marathon sports!

As the gunshots of "3,2,1" resounded in the sky, the red crowd greeted the rising sun in the cooperation zone, cheered and rushed out of the arch to start the 5th anniversary of the 2023 Hengqin Life Hengqin Marathon!

In an instant, "Hengqin Red" ignited the "Green Valley", and the youthful and enthusiastic life awakened the vitality of the cooperation zone. Along the way, the mini-marathon team was filled with laughter, and the half-marathon runners interpreted the charm of competition with sweat!

Running into the cooperation zone, the 42.195-kilometer Lumei Roundabout Track connects Hengqin Financial Island Central Park, Hengqin Port, Hengqin International Tennis Center, Tianmu River Ecological Corridor, Mangzhou Wetland Park, Flower Sea Corridor and many other landmark buildings and scenic spots in Hengqin.

After five years of running, the Hengqin Marathon has witnessed the enthusiasm and transcendence of nearly 100,000 runners. This year, the scale of the event has been expanded to 20,000 people, and the popularity and vitality of the Hengqin Marathon have been further enhanced, and it has become a beautiful business card of the cooperation zone!

This year's Hengqin Marathon ushered in the fifth anniversary of special significance, in addition to the medals and the unique "Fifth Anniversary" logo on the uniforms, a series of activities were also carried out around the fifth anniversary of the event - the fifth anniversary photo collection contest, Douyin contest, essay contest, etc. In addition, the event also carefully created a series of cultural and creative products for the fifth anniversary of the Hengqin Marathon, adding new charm to the image of the race, allowing new friends and old friends, carrying the long river of time, to tell the beautiful historical pictures and moving stories, and open the fifth anniversary of the Hengqin Marathon.

With the accelerated development of the integration of Hengqin and Macao, Macao runners have also gained a smooth and undifferentiated experience in the same city. Before the competition, Macao runners can directly collect their goods in Macao, take the shuttle bus set up by the organizing committee in Macao, and pass through the Hengqin Port to come to the Central Park of Hengqin Financial Island to participate in the competition.

This year is not only the second anniversary of the establishment of the Cooperation Zone, but also the year of striving for the integrated and high-quality development of Hengqin and Macao. The 2023 Hengqin Life Hengqin Marathon has built a platform for in-depth exchanges between residents of Hengqin and Macao, and this year's race attracted a total of 841 runners from Macao, a significant increase compared to previous years. This "sports event at the doorstep" resonated by Hengqin and Macao further enriched the cultural and sports life of residents of Hengqin and Macao, and played a strong voice of sports in the Bay Area at the end of the year!

Over the past five years, the Hengqin Marathon has been sticking to the road of public welfare. Since 2018, the Hengqin Marathon has cooperated with the Administration of the Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin National Nature Reserve and the Huafa Public Welfare Foundation, with the slogan "Protecting Chinese White Dolphins is a Marathon", and aroused people's attention and protection of Chinese White Dolphins and marine ecology in the form of a healthy and energetic public welfare run.

This year, the Hengqin Marathon Chinese White Dolphin Charity Run and the Hengqin Marathon have entered their fifth year together. At the race site, 200 members of the Chinese White Dolphin Conservation Public Welfare Running Group wearing white dolphin-themed T-shirts gathered at the end of the mini-marathon track to pick up garbage along the track while running, and aroused the awareness of the protection of white dolphin resources and their living environment with actions.

Over the years, the Hengqin Marathon has been runner-centric to create event services, this year, Hengqin Marathon continued to strengthen the event services, whether from the event organization, safety and security or medical system have been fully deployed, through a sports event, showing the charm of the cooperation area and temperature.

A total of 2,119 student volunteers and social volunteers provided volunteer services such as event guidance, pre-race check-in, supply distribution, order maintenance, track medical care, and post-race recovery.

There are 44 official pacemakers, 21 physician runners, 560 medical observation volunteers, 156 referees, and 900 security personnel. There are 19 supply stations, 27 medical stations, 30 ambulances, and 110 mobile AEDs (cardiac defibrillators) along the course to protect every runner on the track.

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At the end of the course, there is an ice area and a relaxation and stretching area, so that all finishers can help them eliminate fatigue and reduce sports injuries after a hearty experience.

After running for five years, he is still a teenager after returning from the Hengqin Marathon. Standing at a new starting point in the new year, the young Hengqin Marathon will join hands with the young Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, start a new journey, uphold integrity and innovation, jointly build a diversified sports city brand, promote the deepening and integrated development of cultural and sports undertakings in Hengqin and Macao, further prosper the cultural and sports undertakings of the cooperation zone, and contribute to the construction of a sports power!