The 2026 Zhengzhou Marathon

For most marathon runners, 42.195 kilometers is a test of endurance, discipline and will. In Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, the distance can also become a journey through thousands of years of Chinese civilization.

Held on October 18, the 2026 Zhengzhou Marathon offered a distinctive fusion of city running and cultural heritage.

"What surprised me most this year was the encounter between poetry and the marathon," said Tang Tao, a 35-year-old runner from Zhengzhou who has taken part in six consecutive editions of the event.

"Whether it was the ambience of the event or the on-site interactive activities, I felt surrounded by poetry," Tang said.

At the pre-race carnival, a specially designed "poetry corridor" drew visitors eager to photograph banners bearing famous Chinese verses. Lines such as "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" and "Wildfires cannot burn it all away; the spring breeze brings it back to life" prompted spontaneous recitations, creating a fitting prelude to a race defined by perseverance and determination.

Together, these poems offered a fitting prelude to the marathon, where perseverance, uncertainty and the determination to keep moving forward are part of every runner's experience.

For Jong-May Urbonya, an American cultural influencer with nearly half a million followers who promotes Hanfu and Chinese traditions online, the poems struck a chord.

"The indomitable and forward-looking spirit depicted in the verses is precisely what marathon runners must possess," Urbonya said.

Poetry is only part of the story. As one of the cradles of Chinese civilization, Zhengzhou bears a long, continuous cultural thread beneath its layers of history. The 3,600-year-old Shang Dynasty city wall still stands in the city center, a reminder of the meeting of ancient and modern.

Zhao Hengkang, director of the Zhengzhou Sports Bureau, said the 2026 event wove four major local cultural elements - poetry, surnames, Henan Opera and kung fu - throughout the program.

Since its inaugural edition in 2018, the Zhengzhou Marathon has promoted a "Surname Marathon" concept rooted in Henan's kinship culture - the province is regarded as the ancestral home for many Chinese families and the origin of numerous surnames.

"For Chinese participants, a surname can evoke family history, ancestral origins and a sense of belonging. For international runners, the experience offers an accessible introduction to a cultural tradition in which a single family name may carry centuries of historical memory," said Ge Xiangyu, a runner who crossed the finish line carrying a flag bearing his surname.

Showing his medal, Ge added, "The symbolism goes beyond that of a souvenir," he said, noting that runners can personalize the design with magnetic stickers bearing their own surnames, making each medal uniquely their own.

Amid the hundreds of marathons held across China each year, culture is what sets Zhengzhou apart.

"We hope to make the Zhengzhou Marathon not only a competitive event for 25,000 runners, but also an immersive journey into the charm of traditional Chinese culture," Zhao said.