Chongqing - The 2021 Tianyou Dairy Chongqing Changjiahui Half Marathon will be fired off on the Nanbin Road in Nan'an District on Sunday morning, with some 18,000 professional and amateur runners ready to flex their muscles at one of this year's most anticipated marathon events, according to a press conference of the organizing committee on Friday.

As a constituent race of the Chongqing Marathon series, this year's Changjiahui Half Marathon boasts over 20 sponsor companies, including title sponsor Tianyou Dairy, strategic partner Longfor Group, and cooperative partner Xpeng Auto, which will provide strong support to both the organizing committee and the participating runners.

The Changjiahui Marathon first kicked started its online registration on March 20. However, as of April 5, a total of 18,000 professional and amateur runners have already signed up for the sports event, of which 10,000 signed up for half marathon while the other 8,000 for mini-marathon, finishing up the registration phase early on.

"The youngest runner is one-year-old kiddo named Luo Yi, who was just born last year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the oldest runner Zhong Maorong is nearing his 80s, who was born in 1944. Both of them are participating in the mini-run" Li Wei, general manager of the Chongqing Marathon Sports Development Co., Ltd., said at the press conference.

As for the half marathon group, the youngest runner is Ms. Tan Liangyu, 16 years old, while the oldest runner is Mr. Wan Haihe, 74 years old. Among all the male half marathon runners, 276 of which hold the best record of finishing the race within 1 hour and 30 minutes, while the number of female half marathon runners finishing their race within 1 hour and 45 minutes is 107.

Champion runner Yang Dinghong, who has just won the first place of the 2021 Xiamen Marathon last week with a personal best (PB) of 1 hour 3 minutes 43 seconds, as well as veteran runner Zhang Kaiqin, who had a PB of 1 hour 15 minutes 53 seconds in 12th National Sports Meeting's half marathon program, are also participating in tomorrow's race.

Both the half marathon and mini-marathon races will be fired off at the landmark buildings of Sheraton Hotel Chongqing and Crown International, which have been known as the Twin Towers.

Both races start eastwards first before reaching the Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge, then turn north through the Chaotianmen Yangtze River Bridge, then turn around at the Dafo Temple Bridge where the mini-marathon shall conclude. The half marathon continues as the race route winds back to the Twin Towers, then westwards through the Yangtze River Bridge, doesn't turn back until reaching the Caiyuanba Yangtze River Bridge, and finally concludes at its starting point, the Twin Towers.