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Nov 5, 2024

Beijing Int'l Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Beijing Int'l Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.0

Organization 2.5

Spectators 3.6

Number of comments: 41 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]

M. S. from Beijing, China (9/18/2017) "Better and better" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Beijing Int'l Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is now the third time I've run this race and each time the organization has been getting better and better: - The expo continues to get bigger and more sophisticated. There's now a few different vendors selling a reasonably good line of international brands of running supplies (but still make sure to bring anything critical from home if you're coming from overseas). - My race time and proof got me assigned to the proper corral and they seemed to be much better about checking bibs this time - in fact, the entire start seemed much more organized and much less like a mad crush than it has in previous years. - The aid stations seem even bigger than they were a few years ago - they keep going, and going, and going, so if you miss the first 10 (or 20, or 30!) tables just keep cruising. They might be the most extensive aid stations I've seen at a marathon. Definitely a plus for this race. - The finisher's medal is still extremely nice and classy and it alone is worth the race in my opinion. Otherwise everything is at an equal or better level than it was in 2015, it didn't feel like they've regressed at all. It seems like the organizers have figured out this should be a showpiece race for one of China's showpiece cities and they're trying to incrementally work their way to that level, so thumbs up to them. My complaints: - The course pretty much flat (like most of Beijing) but not especially exciting aside from the start on Tiananmen Square followed by the left turn past the big portrait of Chairman Mao. You finish near, but not in, the Bird's Nest stadium, which would be 10x as nice of a finish than on the vast concrete plain nearby that's sadistically called 'Olympic Green'. You also still do a LOT of walking to the start and especially from the finish - it's no exaggeration that you will probably cover close to 30 miles in total on race day. I was farther back in the pack than usual this year which made me realize something else: after about 6-8 km the race leaves the wide central east-west street of Beijing and for pretty much the rest of the race you're running in the width of two lanes of roadway....with tens of thousands of other runners. Needless to say it can be very cramped even towards the end of the race, and passing is often an exercise in finesse (and frustration). And those nice endless aid stations are set up in the course, so for hundreds of meters you'll be down to (at best) 1.5 lanes of road-width, with Chinese runners abruptly veering back and forth, speeding up, slowing down, stopping to walk, etc etc. (You could be charitable and say that distance running is still a new hobby here and so runners maybe aren't as familiar with aid station etiquette.) I had lots of near-collisions and some actual ones just trying to get through aid stations, even when I stayed to the far opposite side. Finally, in the past this race used to be held in October or even November, which would be much better than mid-September like it has been recently. It can still be very warm in Beijing then, and it was 30c+ and sunny for the race this year. Fortunately there is often some shade until the last few miles, but you may have to run a longer route to take advantage. If I was coming from overseas and determined to run a marathon in the Beijing area, I still might choose one of the several 'Great Wall' marathons instead for a more memorable experience. But this has become a decent race and seems to be getting better as time goes by.
M. S. from Beijing, China (9/26/2015) "Organization getting better, but still not there" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Beijing Int'l Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 D.Y.'s comments from 2012 are mostly still accurate. Expo is much larger than the first time I did this race a few years ago, but mostly just companies with display booths - there was a single shop selling supplies with a very limited selection, so if you're traveling don't forget anything important at home. They seem to be making a real effort to professionalize the race and I suspect they want to eventually be seen as one of the major world marathons like Berlin/Tokyo, but they're definitely not there yet. They've mercifully done away with the 10K and half marathon (which was a total joke, no timing chip/official times recorded, you started behind ALL of the marathoners, and it cost almost as much as the full marathon) so it's all marathoners at the start. I was quite irritated when I found that my previous race time had been ignored/overlooked and I was stuck in the very last corral...but as it turned out, it didn't really matter. The 'corrals' were mere suggestions with absolutely nothing more than signs on the side to mark them. So I was able to work my way forward...but of course so were thousands of other people. If you are in one of the first few corrals, get there early or you won't be getting to your designated corral at all. Typical for paranoid Beijing security, spectators are often kept way, way farther back than they need to be, so it's not a very spectator-friendly race in a lot of stretches. The crowds are there anyway (mostly before 30km at least) and supportive, though. One pleasant surprise was that the aid stations are big, and in the second half of the race, frequent. The first one was of course slammed, but otherwise I had no trouble getting water/gatorade and was even given an entire bottle a couple of times. I heard complaints from some slower marathoners that they ran out of supplies towards the end, though. Another pleasant surprise was the finishers' medal - arguably the nicest one of the dozen or so marathons I've run. You still have the long staggering walk to the nearest subway station though. Bag retrieval was orderly though a bit annoying to weave around all of the Chinese runners who decided that area makes a good place to sit down and spread out. All in all, for overseas runners I'm still not sure this is worth a special trip to Beijing just to participate, especially when there's so many marathons in smaller cities that might be a more interesting experience (Hangzhou, Xiamen, Haikou, etc etc). But it's better than it was before.
D. Y. from Georgia (11/26/2012) "Not a race I would recommend." (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Beijing Int'l Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 The race was pushed back due to the CCP 18th congress. It was held on Nov. 25th. The starting area is at Tian An Men square, you would think it's big enough to accomodate 30,000 runners but getting into the square, you has go through security check and then you have to squeeze through to get to the full marathon area. The Course is flat and winding through western Beijing . Crowd was there till you passed 30KM mark when you enter the Olympic park area then crowd disappeared. The finishing area is at the Olympic park which is huge and fenced. Your friends and relatives cannot get in and there is no clear sign to tell you where to return your timing chips. From the finishing area to reach the subway station is good one mile hike on either direction which is no fun after running 42.2KM. Volunteers are great they stayed to the end but the workers and police were very impatient they want to get it done and go home. Traffic started before all the runners were through, you have to watch speeding cars passing you. All in all, it was not a pleasant experience.
J. M. from China (3/14/2012) "Well organized race, can be a good experience" (about: 2011) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Beijing Int'l Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Everyone rates the scenery low, but if you've seen one Chinese city, you've seen them all- lots of drab blocky buildings. It would be logistically impossible to see ALL of Beijing's top attractions on a marathon course. See them at your leisure for a few days after the race and enjoy them. The race directors seem motivated to organize a race approaching international standards. The Expo was well staffed, easy packet pickup, a bag to check at the start line, lots of vendors from name brand running companies. Be sure to grab some VIP passes for free at the Expo so your friends can come closer to the finish line. Volunteers were copious along the race course, excellent access to water and sports drink (though they might run out for the back of the pack, in which case stash some of your own). Finish line provisions were a little slim, but they print you a nice certificate with your time right on the spot as you exit. I did get finish line photos from an independent vendor who emails you through the race office, a nice touch. Start line was packed, as is everywhere in this country. Get there early if possible to stake out your place in the corral. I had to fling my bag through the air onto the baggage truck as the doors were closing, as there wasn't an inch to move by that point in the corral. There's no start line chip mat, so your overall time is gun time, not net time from the starting line. This is the one shame. The other is half marathoners don't even get a chip for an official time. In 2011 the sky was clear blue, a rarity in Beijing. Maybe they closed factories for the day? I would recommend the race to residents in China, but if you want to travel here make it part of a larger tour to get the most out of it.
M. P. from Beijing (10/28/2011) "Great start but 'flat' finish" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Beijing Int'l Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon - I have run the half marathon in Beijing before though. The start of the race is reasonably well organised - plenty of space, lots of toilets - but there is a bottleneck at the underpass to get into Tiananmen Square. There are corrals for full, half, 10k and mini-marathon runners, but it all got a bit mixed up anyway. The most scenic part of the course is at the beginning - Tiananmen Square and along Chang An Avenue. There are plenty of spectators, and plenty of runners too - 30,000 of them in 2011. So, a fun atmosphere. But the rest of the course is not especially scenic. Spectators thin out after about 15km, except at the halfway mark when there are plenty of enthusiastic fans. The second half of the race is where I was a lot less impressed. Not only was the course lackign in scenery, with very few spectators, but from 30km onwards there was no more water at the water stations. I know I was slow, but still, I was well within the 6 hour time limit - and there was NO WATER! The volunteers at each water station had given away bottles of water rather than pour the water into paper cups, and as a result, they had run out of water far too early. They were offering ice cubes at one station. From 35km onwards the race was run inside the Olympic Park, around a large lake. No spectators, but plenty of people just visiting the park. I thought it was an anticlimactic way to finish a marathon - just when I needed the mental boost the most, there were no crowds, and the water & aid stations had packed up shop. It was as if the race had already ended, and the remaining runners were being ignored. The final straight was a long 1km strip, with crowd barriers. By the time I reached it there were only the official cheerleaders left, so it was a bit quiet, and then with about 400m to go there was a road to cross - but the road had been re-opened to traffic, so I had to wait for the lights to turn. If there's going to be a time limit, why not have the entire course sealed for the duration? My final disappointment was with the race photos. I thought that at a full marathon there would be a finish line photo - but there wasn't. What a shame. Despite the negative comments, I still think this is generally a well organized race, with plenty of enthusiasm from organizers, other runners and the spectators. I just feel that with a little more attention, and better implementation, the race could be even better!
E. M. from Beijing (10/24/2010) "organizational nightmare" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Beijing Int'l Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 1. Picking up the race bibs and timing chip was smooth enough. There was a three-day window prior to the race that corresponded with the marathon expo. The expo itself was disappointing. Not a lot of goods, and the prices were pretty steep. 2. The volunteers charged with answering questions were poorly informed. A few examples: Q: "Will photos would be taken at the finish line?" A:"I dont know, but probably not. I mean, there are thousands of runners. How could we take so many pictures?" Pictures were not taken. Q: "Will the Olympic Stadium (the race finish) be open to the public so at least someone can take a picture?" A: "Yes, definitely." So, on race day my family showed up and wasn't allowed in. Last example: My wife, who ran the mini, received her race certificate with her bib. I ran the full and did not receive my certificate with my bib. I called the information hotline later that day and was told that they ran out of certificates. The volunteer on the phone said the printer didn't print enough. However, on race day I did receive an official certificate containing my chip time. (Actually, I'll address this issue later.) 3. The race started in Tiananmen Square. Getting into the square was VERY dangerous. A total crowd control nightmare. The very few entry points were underground tunnels. Imagine thousands of people pushing and shoving their way downstairs into a narrow tunnel. Perfect conditions for a stampede or for people to get crushed. My wife and I were terrified. 4. Once we got inside in the square, checking bags was a similar nightmare. Total mob scene in front of the bag trucks with people pushing, shoving, and yelling. 5. On the race course, traffic was shut down in one direction only. Runners were breathing the car exhaust of traffic going the other way for most of the course. My lungs still hurt. 6. I'm not convinced our race times are "chip times" as advertised. I suspect they are gun times. My official race time is 2 minutes slower than my stopwatch time. 7. The worst part was at the very end trying to retrieve our bags. Racers were literally rioting in front of the bag tents. Apparently bags were thrown into heaps on the back of the trucks and not put in order. Finding a bag was like finding a needle in a haystack. It was freezing cold and people were shivering and angry. Some racers jumped on top of the steel barricades in front of the tents. The police had to intervene. It was very ugly. It took me over an hour to get my bag, and I consider myself lucky. 8. As I said, only people with VIP passes were allowed into the stadium. Outside the stadium my wife witnessed a proud father take two steps past the police barricade onto the course to take a photo of his son. A police officer grabbed this guy by the neck and threw him backwards onto the ground. My wife heard the sound of his skull hitting the cement. Blood poured out everywhere. He was out cold on the ground for a while. My wife intervened and took photos, at which point the police officer threatened to smash her camera and arrest her. All the cops in the vicinity covered their badges to protect themselves. 9. There was plenty of water and sports drink. No gels. But at various points people were distributing bananas and oranges.
A. T. from Beijing (10/24/2010) "Good for PB. Not Scenic. Not Festive." (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Beijing Int'l Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 Being flat and with Beijing's cool October weather, it's a good course for a PB. Wet and windy 2010 was an exception. The start at Tiananmen is impressive and proceeds along the west side of Changan Jie (drab government buildings and SOEs). Then it's through some older, apartment-lined streets. From there it proceeds along highways and thoroughfares in the drab university district. The last 7 KM are through a section of the Olymbic Park and then south along the promenade connecting the park to the other sports facilities. It finishes in an older stadium south of the Bird's Nest. The course is not scenic. If coming from abroad, enjoy the camaraderie of the mostly middle-aged Chinese runners from around the country, many in non-high-tech gear but running at a good pace. There are very few female runners in this race (at my pace, maybe 2%). Not many toilet facilities along the route. I saw far fewer foreigners compared to last year. College-kid volunteers are cheerful and helpful, even in yesterday's wet and windy conditions. Two glitches yesterday: 1) Tiananmen square is heavily guarded at the start, so you must enter the square at one of 3 underpasses; 40 minutes before start they closed the southwest underpass (too many people) so I had to rush down to the northwest underpass, a detour of 1,500 meters. 2) End-of race process and baggage collection was smooth for most. But at one of the 7-8 tents they had doubled the number of bags (vs. other tents). There was chaos, and when someone senior finally took control, he was incompetent. I stood in the impatient pushing crowd for TWO HOURS. Some must have waited 3 hours. Fortunately we kept each other warm. In summary, a good course for a PB, if you live nearby. A runner's race. Not scenic. No party atmosphere.
L. M. from Wisconsin, USA (10/24/2010) "Solid international race" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Beijing Int'l Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I'm not sure that I would say that this is a "must do" marathon, but this is a well organized marathon. I was worried about the air quality for the race, but it was a steady drizzle on the day of the marathon (which cleans the air a bit), so I didn't notice any issues with the pollution for the race. Pros: 1) Tech shirt; 2 easy packet pick up; aid stations frequent enough and sufficiently stocked with water and energy drinks; 3) free towel as schwag at end; 4) this is the rare race that saves the most scenic part of the race (Olympic Park) for the end of the marathon course. Cons: 1) Not enough porta potties in the first 20 miles of the race (there are plenty once you get to the Olympic Park, but that's a long time to wait) - if you are a woman, plan to lose 15 minutes waiting in line; 2) there is no food on the course - if you like your calories to come from something other than sports drink, bring your own; 3) come fully stocked for the race, as the expo will have virtually nothing that you need (GU, electrolyte tablets, etc.).
A. W. from Beijing (8/28/2010) "Good race, but no perks..." (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Beijing Int'l Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I live in Beijing and this was my first marathon, but I have had some experience with marathons since. My first thought is that I don't think this is a spectacular race, but if you are a marathon runner and want to come to China to travel afterward, this could be a good option. Also, I think overall there probably isn't a better marathon in China. Also, this is the qualifier for the Chinese runners, so there are elite runners in the race and for people to get out and watch. Finally, I would recommend this race as a potential first-time marathon since the course is pretty flat. Pros: -the course is basically flat, with just one hill that I remember around 25K -the course is fairly scenic, starting at Tiananmen, passing several neighborhoods and universities, and ending at the Olympic Stadium -the pick-up process for your packet is easy -there is a good amount of water and energy drink along the way -there isn't really a problem with crowding, unlike what bigger races can have - I never felt crowded at the beginning of the race CONS: -there is no real expo, so anyone hoping to meet other runners or buy running gear will be disappointed... and similarly, you don't walk away feeling really excited for race day -the course fee is really high for foreigners as compared with local Chinese, so it doesn't seem like foreigners are really getting their money's worth. -the start is with the other races' (5K, 10K, half marathon) runners, which makes it a little frustrating to watch them finish! -there are not enough port-a-potties along the way, which is bad for us women! All this said, I plan on running this race again because I live in Beijing, and I'm excited for it!
C. K. from Germany (1/16/2010) "Boring" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Beijing Int'l Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Better course than 2007, but still mostly boring. Organization was better than indicated in other comments (there were enough water stations, and I did not encounter traffic other than ambulances and pick-up buses) but why can they not pick a better course and also provide a better place to pick up your race bib?

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