Xu Xiake's Hometown, Savoring the Yangtze River 2026 Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Jiangyin Half Marathon Kicks Off with Enthusiasm

Running alongside the Yangtze River, embracing a spring appointment. At 7:30 AM on April 12, the "Xu Xiake's Hometown, Savoring the Yangtze River" 2026 Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Jiangyin Half Marathon kicked off with great fervor. A total of 15,000 runners from both home and abroad gathered in Jiangyin, measuring the urban fabric of Xu Xiake's hometown with their strides, and showcasing the contemporary spirit of striving upward and racing forward with their running. Party Secretary Fang Li, Mayor Wang Qi, and city leaders Ji Jun, Shao Wensong, Jin Danjing, and Zhang Hao jointly fired the starting gun for the race.

The rain could not dampen the passion for running. The runners fully enjoyed the joy of sports while also feasting their eyes on the picturesque spring scenery of Jiangyin. Along the race course, cheer squads and "flash mob" performance troupes were set up, featuring a rotating lineup of gongs and drums, folk music, street dance, martial arts, waist drums, and dragon dances. Enthusiastic citizens waved their hands, their cheers and support rising and falling, echoing for a long time, becoming a warm scenic highlight.

Upgraded Race Course. Both the start and finish lines of this year's "Chengma" are located at the Jiangyin Sports Center. To help runners achieve better results, Jiangyin optimized the course design and widened sections of the route. The full course measures 21.0975 kilometers, with a cumulative elevation gain of no more than 353 meters and a maximum altitude not exceeding 20 meters, creating a racing experience that perfectly combines speed and comfort. The course connects Jiangyin's most representative natural scenery and urban landmarks, including Ebizui Park, Shipyard Park, Shiyugang Park, Huangtiangang Park, Guoyue Island, Canal Park, Yingtianhe Park, and Daqiao Park. It integrates the grandeur of the Yangtze River, the elegance of the canal, the charm of the ancient city, and the vitality of the modern city, allowing runners to experience Jiangyin's natural and cultural beauty up close as scenery changes with every step. In addition, the event specially invited online running influencers to serve as "Race Promotion Officers" and recruited "Race Experience Officers" from content creators and runners with compelling stories, allowing more people to experience "Chengma" and understand Jiangyin through social media platforms.

Strong Support Along the Entire Route. To ensure the smooth running of the event, multiple forces including public security, transportation, medical services, and volunteers were on full duty. Aid stations and medical posts were set up along the course to protect the safety of the participants. Furthermore, over 3,000 professionally trained volunteers provided enthusiastic services, including material distribution and route guidance. In the end, after intense competition, Zhang Zhihao, a runner from Chongqing, won the men's group championship with a time of 1 hour, 6 minutes, and 26 seconds; Wang Jiali, a student from the Nanjing University of Science and Technology Jiangyin Campus, won the women's group championship with a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes, and 46 seconds, breaking the previous women's event record of 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 40 seconds.

At the event site, Fang Li presented a plaque to the title sponsor, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding. Mayor Wang Qi, Vice Mayor Jin Danjing, other city leaders, and guests presented awards to the top three finishers in the men's and women's half marathon categories.

In recent years, "Chengma" has become an important window for Jiangyin to showcase its urban vitality and highlight the Yangtze River culture, with its national influence and brand appeal continuously rising. This year's "Chengma" adopted a pre-registration and lottery system for the first time, attracting a total of 51,607 pre-registrants. The number of participants set a record for any previous Jiangyin half marathon event, with nearly 80% of runners coming from outside the city. To better convert the event's popularity into economic growth, Jiangyin also launched a series of consumption-promoting activities, including "Shopping District Deals," "Cultural Charm," "Scenic Spot Joy," and "Gourmet Delights," effectively promoting the deep integration of sports with culture, tourism, and commerce, and unleashing the event's "long-tail effect."

Source：www.jiangyin.gov.cn
The English version is for reference only. If there are differences between the English version and the Chinese version, the Chinese version shall prevail.
http://www.jiangyin.gov.cn/doc/2026/04/13/1389384.shtml