“Lead the Race, Shine with Jingzhou! ”At 7:30 AM on March 30, the 2025 Jingzhou Marathon commenced with an energetic start at Jingzhou Culture and Sports Center as the starting gun fired. Twenty thousand runners from around the world were immersed in the passionate and energetic atmosphere as they embarked on their journey through the historic city.
Organized by Jingzhou Municipal People's Government and executed by Jingzhou Culture and Tourism Bureau under the supervision of Hubei Athletics Association, the event featured four race categories: full marathon (42.195km), half Marathon (21.0975km), health run (8km), and family run (4.5km). Participants hailed from 14 countries including China, Ethiopia, Australia, Germany, South Korea, Canada, Kenya, Malaysia, United States, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Italy and United Kingdom, with 4,000 marathoners, 8,000 half-marathoners, 5,000 health runners and 3,000 family runners.
The race course fueled the ancient city with passion. Starting at Jingzhou Culture and Sports Center, the full marathon looped back to its origin while the half marathon concluded at Fantawild Oriental Heritage. Health runners finished at Golden Phoenix Square and family runners at Royal Lake Center. The route passed iconic landmarks including Golden Phoenix Square, Bingyang Gate, Zhang Juzheng's Former Residence, Phoenix Bridge, Jingzhou Garden Expo, Fantawild Oriental Heritage, and Jingzhou Ocean World, offering participants a moving panorama of the city's cultural heritage and modern development.
After fierce competition, Kenya's Vincent Kipsegechi Yator claimed the men's title with 2:17:51, while Xiong Juan, from Wuhan, Central China’s Hubei province, won the women's division in 2:39:03. For half marathon, Ma Zhuqin, from Zhongxiang, Hubei province, topped the men's race in 1:08:54 and Qiao Kuiying, from Nanyang, Central China’s Henan province, led the women's (1:23:14).
Since its inception in 2017, Jingzhou Marathon has been successfully held five times, evolving from a China Athletics Association "Bronze Label Race" to a World Athletics Label Event. The event has continuously grown in scale, quality, and influence, becoming a shining emblem for Jingzhou. It ranked among China's Top 100 Most Influential Marathons by People's Daily in 2018-2019, peaking at 34th position. At the 2024 China Athletics Association Road Running Work Conference, it was recognized as a National Exemplary Case in Road Running Events for Sports-Tourism Integration Development.