Yangzhou half marathon draws world’s top runners

About 35,000 runners take part in the 2018 Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon on April 22, 2018. [Photo/IC]

A total of 40 foreign professional athletes have registered for the upcoming Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon so far, including one of the world's leading half marathon runners, Abraham Cheroben from Bahrain, according to an official announcement made March 20.

It is not the first time for Cheroben to run the Yangzhou marathon. Last year he finished second in one hour, one minute and 33 seconds.

Betesfa Getahun from Ethiopia and Amanuel Mesel from Eritrea, sixth and seventh in the 2018 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, will also take part.

The Yangzhou marathon organization is working hard to invite more high-level athletes to the event.

The Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, and was named a gold label event by the Chinese Athletics Association Marathon this year on March 11.

The race takes place annually in April in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, over the half marathon distance, which is 21.0975 kilometers.

The event is named in honor of Jianzhen, a monk from the city who propagated Buddhism in Japan in the 8th century.

This year the marathon will kick off on April 21.