Jul. 30, 2010
2010 Toray Shanghai Marathon
Entries for Japanese runners will be accepted starting from August 2
Races are scheduled for Sunday, December 5, 2010
Full Marathon / Half Marathon / Fun Marathon (4.5 km)
The outline of the “2010 Toray Shanghai Marathon” has been decided. Shanghai is China’s largest financial center and has a long history as a cosmopolitan city. This event will be organized by the China Athletic Sports Association and the Shanghai City Sports Federation under the special sponsorship of Toray Industries (China) Co., Ltd. The entries for runners from Japan will be accepted starting from August 2 (Mon.).
The Toray Shanghai Marathon, comparable to the Tokyo Marathon and the New York City Marathon, is a city marathon held in cosmopolitan Shanghai. Recognized as one of China’s four major international marathons by the State General Administration of Sports, the marathon offers three races, the full and the half marathons, which have a more competitive nature and use a course certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and the fun marathon, a race in which anybody can participate. At the 14th Toray Shanghai marathon last year, a total of more than 20,000 runners participated in the three categories of the marathon, and as a marathon of international citizens, the number of participants has been increasing annually. This year’s 15th marathon is scheduled for Sunday, December 5, 2010.
This year’s 15th marathon is scheduled for Sunday, December 5, 2010, starting at 7:30 a.m. (local time) with the commencement of the 42.195-km full marathon and the 21.0975-km half marathon, both of which will begin at Century Plaza on East Nanjing Road in Shanghai, finishing at the Oriental Sports Center. The time limit for the full marathon is six hours, while the time limit for the half marathon is three.
In addition, the full and half marathon courses of the Toray Shanghai Marathon will change for the first time in five years since the 2005 marathon. The new course will allow runners to enjoy the historic sites of Shanghai, as well as views of the developing city, such as the 2010 Shanghai Expo site and the Wai Tan (the Bund) area-the most popular sightseeing spot in Shanghai. The new course also features many other attractive spots and emphasizes a comfortable running course in consideration of the number of participants involved, which increases every year.
Every year, the field of runners is composed of general participants and guest runners, including the world’s top runners from Japan and other countries.
The 2009 Toray Shanghai Marathon has invited Gashaw Melese Asfaw (Ethiopia) to attend, who won the men’s full marathon for two consecutive years with a record of 2:10:10. In the women’s full marathon, Wei Yanan (China) won with a record of 2:27:49, while Japan’s Mai Ito won the women’s half marathon with a record of 1:12:00. This year’s marathon will once again feature top overseas and Japanese marathon runners. In the past, Mizuki Noguchi (2006), Harumi Hiroyama (2006) and other top Japanese runners participated in the Toray Shanghai Marathon. This year’s guest runners will be selected in September.
Prize money will be awarded to the top finishers in the full and half marathons, and all finishers who complete the marathon within the time limit will receive a certificate of achievement and a souvenir.
The 4.5-km fun marathon, in which anybody can participate, will be held at the same time as the other races. Runners will start from Century Plaza, East Nanjing Road, Shanghai, the same starting point as the full and half marathons, at 7:30 (scheduled time) and finish at Jing An Park. The time limit is one hour. The fun marathon does not announce results or records.
Entries for Japanese runners will be accepted from August 2 (Mon.) to October 31 (Sun.) via the “Sports Entry” website (http://www.sportsentry.ne.jp).
<Toray Shanghai Marathon as a City Marathon>
Marathons have been attracting attention in China over the past several years as a sport for improving health, and the number of people who enjoy marathons is increasing throughout the country every year. The Toray Shanghai Marathon, held in China’s largest financial center, has developed into an international citizens’ marathon, with many participants from foreign countries. This year will mark the event’s 15th anniversary. It was recognized as one of China’s four major international marathons (Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian and Xiamen) by the State General Administration of Sports in 2005 and designated by the Shanghai city government in 2006 as one of Shanghai’s four major sports events, together with the F1, Men’s Masters Tennis and IAAF Grand Prix.
As last year, more than 20,000 people are expected to participate in the 2010 marathon. Many runners from Japan are also expected.
<About the New Course (for full and half marathon races) >
The new course begins at Century Plaza on East Nanjing Road, a tourist site in Shanghai, which was also the starting point of the previous Shanghai marathons. Runners will follow along Wai Tan (the Bund) on the west bank of the Huangpu River, which is the most popular tourist spot in Shanghai, and then onto South Pudong Road along the site of the 2010 Shanghai Expo, which is being held from May to late October 2010. The Oriental Sports Center is the final destination.
The Oriental Sports Center consists of an indoor swimming pool, currently under construction (to be completed in December 2010), and is intended for use in the 2011 World Swimming Championship. The sports center, known as Shanghai’s “Bird’s Nest”, is one of the highlights of the marathon. Another highlight of the new course is the approximately 1.8-km section of underground tunnel spanning the Huangpu River, which is normally used only by automobiles.
As the course does not feature curves or steep gradients, runners should be able to comfortably complete this high-speed circuit with good results.
<Special Sponsorship>
Toray has a long relationship with China, particularly Shanghai, which began when it exported a fibrous raw material plant to Shanghai in 1973. Currently, Toray has a large-scale integrated production base of polyester fiber in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, engaging in activities from the polymerization of polyester to yarn making, weaving, and dyeing of fibers. It established Toray Industries (China) Co., Ltd. in Shanghai in 2003 as the local headquarters for the company in China and is aggressively expanding its business in China, particularly in Shanghai. One of Toray’s basic management policies is “For Society.” Toray stresses its belief in making “contributions to the local community as a good corporate citizen through social activities” through its sponsorship of the Shanghai International Marathon.
The outline of the 2010 Toray Shanghai Marathon
<For entry and inquires from general applicants, please contact:>
[2010 Toray Shanghai Marathon Entry Office]
TEL: 0120-711-951 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
(Weekdays only, excluding national holidays)
http://www.sportsentry.ne.jp
(Please access the Shanghai marathon page from the above website and make entry online.)
Official Web site http://www.shmarathon.com/
(Japanese page can be accessed from the “Japanese” link button in the above Web site)
<For press inquiries please contact:>
Toray Shanghai Marathon PR Office
TEL: 03-5575-3223
Attn: Miwa, Sato
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