(Photo provided by the author)

Wearing a suit and tie, sitting in the governmental office, Zhao Pei, a 27-year-old, looks just like any other sober-faced civil servant in Beijing.

But when he got fully geared up showing on the 36th Beijing international marathon game this September, he became athletic with full sportsmanship.

Like millions of others now in China, Zhao has developed a fever for marathon or other extreme sports.

Participating in marathon races has long been popular around the world, but it was only in recent years that the sport gained wide popularity in China. It has even become a fashion icon and the vanguard thing for many young Chinese.

Back in 1981 when China's first international marathon was launched in Beijing, less than 200 people participated in the race. Few of them could imagine that running a marathon would become such a hit in the near future.

In 2015, a total of four municipalities and 79 cities in 23 Chinese provinces or autonomous regions hosted marathons, 34 more than in 2014.

In the same year, the number of marathons registered by the Chinese Athletics Association totaled 134, 83 more than the previous year. Nearly 1.5 million runners from about 90 countries and regions competed in last year's events.

"At least 200 marathons will be held in China in 2016," said Huang Yi, manager of Chinese marathon organizer Wisdom Sports Group.

Nowadays, marathon is seen not only as a sport event in China but also a culture gala to enjoy and celebrate. For some entrants running a marathon is a chance to dress up with cosplay costumes, to fulfill a life objective, or propose to your love.

With a relatively low entry barrier, running is the most accessible, cheapest and easily organized sport for the mushrooming middle class Chinese who are after body fitness.

“People don't need to buy a lot of facilities or equipment. All you need is a pair of comfortable shoes and short sportswear, and you can hit the road, young or old alike,” Huang said.

Running or jogging is the least expensive way to exercise. People can jog in the park or the street and an annual marathon event in the city can well encourage the public, especially the youth, to stick to their jogging habit and test their progress in the race, Huang added.

The growing number of marathons nationwide is also due to the country's economic development and local officials’ enthusiasm to promote their city image.

The host cities use the race as a platform to demonstrate the city's image and promote tourism. In most cases, marathon routes are planned to showcase the most important scenery, monuments and landscapes in the city especially when the race is live televised by the national broadcaster.

But amid the rapid growth, many marathon races in China are less than satisfying. Taking the Beijing International Marathon for instance, the lack of drinking water stations and toilets once caused inconvenience and embarrassment for participants who did something unwanted such as peeing on the city walls.

Moreover, the marathons in China should further consider the runners' needs and provide them with a place for celebrations after finishing the epic journey.

(Disclaimer: This article only represents the author's viewpoint. It does not necessarily represent the editorial opinion of Xinhuanet.)

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