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An aerial of Jiaxing in Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Jiaxing in East China's Zhejiang province became the fourth city in China to host the Asian Marathon Championships on March 30, staging the 20th edition of the event alongside the 2025 Jiaxing Marathon.

The race attracted 53 athletes from 18 member associations of the Asian Athletics Association.

Kenya's Mwangi Simon Maina won the men's race with a time of 2:17:52. In the women’s division, Ethiopia's Tayr Fatumausen took first place, finishing in 2:40:38.

This year's event drew a record number of international amateur runners, with 156 participants from 23 countries and regions — far exceeding previous years.

Many came not just to race but to experience Jiaxing's culture. One runner, 53-year-old Gao Hui from Beijing, arrived four days early to collect her race kit, then spent two days exploring Jiaxing's historic water towns using a seamless tourist shuttle system.

To accommodate international participants, organizers streamlined visa invitation procedures, recruited multilingual volunteers, and trained staff in cross-cultural etiquette. Signage across the venue was updated with foreign-language support.

Jiaxing also leaned into technology to enhance the race experience. For the first time, facial recognition and AI video tools were deployed along the course.

More than 10 camera stations captured footage of runners in motion, allowing participants to download personalized short clips of their race — a marked upgrade from the traditional still-photo coverage.