Shanghai Half Marathon is set for April 18

The 2021 Shanghai Half Marathon, featuring 6,000 runners, has been scheduled for April 18, organizers announced on Wednesday.

The 21-kilometer routes starts from Fenghe Road, close to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in the Pudong New Area. Runners will go past the 2010 World Expo site and the riverside New Bund Leisure Park before reaching the finish line at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center.

The annual event was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Making a return, the event this year will not invite elite runners from overseas, but foreign runners meeting health requirements are welcome.

Those interested can log on to the official website (www.shang-ma.com) before March 26 noon for registration. A draw will be held to distribute quotas, and the result will be announced on March 30. The entry fee is 160 yuan (US$24.5).

All runners and front-line staff are required to hand in nucleic acid test reports taken within seven days ahead of the event. Fifteen ambulances and 21 medical spots will be arranged along the route, with water and snack supply stations set up every 5km.

The top three men and women finishers will win 50,000 yuan (US$7,785), 30,000 yuan and 20,000 yuan, respectively. The first 200 male and 100 female finishers will also win quotas for the 2021 Shanghai Marathon, which will be held in the second half of the year.