Thirty-three thousand runners take on Lanzhou Marathon

Cheers echoed along the Yellow River as around 33,000 runners took part in the 2026 Lanzhou Marathon on May 24, turning the northwestern city into a celebration of endurance, hospitality, and riverside culture.

As the Chinese athletics marathon selection race for the 20th Asian Games, this year's event attracted elite athletes alongside amateur runners. Located at an average altitude of 1,520 meters, the course is known as a challenging sub-plateau route that tests endurance and willpower.

In the men's marathon, Ethiopia's Gerba Dibaba won in 2:11:52 while fellow Ethiopian Haven Hailu Desse claimed the women's title in 2:29:54.

First-time Lanzhou Marathon participant Feng Peiyou from Guizhou province finished as the top Chinese male runner in 2:14:09, breaking the Chinese runners' course record set by Jia Erenjia in 2025.

"The spectators were incredibly enthusiastic," Feng said. "I'm very satisfied with my result and happy to secure qualification for the Asian Games."

Chinese marathon runner Zhu Qing, who finished sixth in the women's race, said the course gave her a new understanding of long-distance running.

"At first, I wanted to conquer the sub-plateau course, but later I realized it's not something to conquer—it's something to make peace with," Zhu said.

She was also impressed by the scenery along the river. "When I saw the Yellow River during the race, I immediately thought of the famous poem line, 'The waters of the Yellow River come down from heaven,'" she said.

This year's race continued along the Yellow River Scenic Line, passing landmarks including the Zhongshan Bridge, the Yellow River Mother Sculpture, and Baita Mountain.

A total of 6,864 volunteers supported the event. Wang Zehan, a volunteer leader from the Second Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, said volunteers received about one month of training before the race.

"People in Lanzhou don't treat visitors like strangers; they treat them like family," Wang said. "That's the unique warmth of the city."