Beijing Marathon 2009

Does anyone know when registration will begin?

http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/dmc7779 I already register through CITS , its more expensive but this year can do via paypal so is quite convenient . Every year I use them . No need to queue in Beijing for T shirt/number etc. http://www.cits.com.cn/citsonlineWeb/switchdo.do?prefix=/marathon&page=/...

Reviews about the organization of this race are quite bad... 1 hour+ wait to pick up bags, no water at the end of race, etc. Is is worth it?

I've done both the half and full Beijing marathons. The buses where bags were collected were a few hundred metres from the finish in the half, but the bag collection was close to the end of the FM. In both cases I had the bag back in a few minutes. The biggest issue was getting a taxi back to the hotel, this took time. If you join through CITS you get treated very well, with bib collection in central Beijing and no queues. It's well worth a try, not as good as marathons in Japan or Korea but still a good experience.

http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/dmc7779 For the full marathon in 2007 I had no complaints but in 2008 they made a small change at the finish which made the end a bit chotic to the slower runners . Hopefully they will have learned and go back to the 2008 . The route is generally flat with only two low overpasses , weather is just right ....dry and cool...many spectators who cheer you along . I would say it is on a par with HK marathon for organisation but with more interest along the route :-) At the finish catching a taxi is hit and miss but last time I was in a group so we had a bus to pick us up . If you have never run Beijing marathon I would say give it a go dont believe everything in the reviews :-)

I did not do too well last year so maybe I am a bit biased :p The organization was very chaotic. There was NO timing mat at the start hence there was no chip time. If you want to PB, better go early and push yourself to the front.

Thanks for the comments. Despite the negative reviews, I might still give it a try. 17 weeks to go, should be enough time to train...

Thank you for all the comments and suggestions! Have registered through CITS! Looking forward to it!

am looking for a race later this year to try for pb - is this a faster course than hk?

the weather is certainly better for a good time - much cooler and less humid. Better crowd support too. Plus it's flat course. Xiamen Marathon is another good option popular in HK as it is only a short flight away.

I have signed up for this race. Any advice on the "economic" flight up to Beijing? Would traveling via Shenzhen be cheaper (not including the travel from HKG to SZ)? Any advice? Thank you.

I have signed up for this race. Any advice on the "economic" flight up to Beijing? Would traveling via Shenzhen be cheaper (not including the travel from HKG to SZ)? Any advice? Thank you.

Any body knows where the finish point of the half marathon is? I can't find it from the official website. Thanks.

The finish of the marathon is usually at the National Olympic stadium...not the Birds Nest...but not far away . In fact you can see the Birds Nest and the Cube when running . The start has varied....most years start from Tian An Men but at least one year we started from the stadium and ran back to the stadium as Tian An Men was busy for national parades . As this year is the 60th anniversary of CPG maybe the route will change if there are other events in October . Previously the route was changed only three weeks before the race !

I have signed up for this race too. Are there any group or tour to be organised for joining this Beijing Marathon? Please advise.

3524 348 Martin Lee 香港/HKG 4:41:33 1145 349 Yuk Hung Ip 香港/HKG 3:42:02 1403 350 Sai Wing Paul Ho 香港/HKG 3:48:43 4053 351 Ka Wai Pun 香港/HKG 4:53:39 1619 353 Wai Man Mok 香港/HKG 3:54:27 4335 354 Kwong Nap Tsang 香港/HKG 5:02:15 2821 355 Kam Wing Chiu 香港/HKG 4:23:24 902 4723 Wai Kwong Richard 香港/HKG 3:34:21 3159 4724 国雄香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:32:25 2672 4725 仲良香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:19:57 1675 4726 景鵬香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:55:31 2582 4727 深福香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:17:48 2857 4728 漢亮香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:24:40 4049 4729 Ka Fung 香港/HKG 4:53:36 3092 4730 tak Kuen 香港/HKG 4:30:55 1622 4731 GOT HANG FAI 香港/HKG 3:54:31 462 4732 Wong Sek Fong 香港/HKG 3:16:28 1891 4733 Siu Ki Kevin 香港/HKG 4:00:11 735 4734 敏生香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:28:31 1736 4736 KWOK HUNG 香港/HKG 3:56:49 2427 4737 Yau Chung 香港/HKG 4:13:50 2681 4738 鸿基香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:20:06 1426 4739 志勤香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:49:19 2321 4740 Wai Man 香港/HKG 4:11:25 3841 4741 KWOK HING 香港/HKG 4:48:23 364 4742 Jonathan 香港/HKG 3:10:58 898 4743 Lo Chung Keung 香港/HKG 3:34:18 1802 4745 Sung Yip 香港/HKG 3:58:15 2366 4746 Wai Chi 香港/HKG 4:12:24 470 4747 文康香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:16:49 3330 4749 WAI KAY 香港/HKG 4:36:50 245 4750 Hess 香港/HKG 3:01:34 1965 4751 AU YEUNG WAI KWOK 香港/HKG 4:01:42 3760 4753 Kin Wah 香港/HKG 4:46:28 3357 4754 Andrew 香港/HKG 4:37:31 2412 4755 劉鈞業香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:13:23 2019 4756 仙舟香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:03:09 1773 4757 羅自立香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:57:38 1072 4759 chee yuen 香港/HKG 3:40:09 2221 4760 Fai Keung 香港/HKG 4:08:28 716 4761 Chun Yung 香港/HKG 3:27:46 2252 4762 Lin Wah 香港/HKG 4:09:31 3901 4767 康桓香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:49:48 1614 4768 绍良香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:54:15 1958 4769 WONG HIN WA 香港/HKG 4:01:29 1942 4770 Wong Ho Leong 香港/HKG 4:01:09 4093 4774 啟明香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:54:35 883 4775 棋端香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:33:48 3952 4776 浩忠香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:51:24 550 4777 興華香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:21:12 3172 4779 (良 光) Leung Kwong 香港/HKG 4:32:46 3537 4780 柏泉香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:41:54 2146 4781 King Cheung 香港/HKG 4:06:26 668 4782 報凱香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:26:20 808 4783 吳振雄香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:30:45 2858 4784 朱經綸香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:24:40 2978 4785 謝亦華香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:28:05 1755 4786 HIN MING 香港/HKG 3:57:14 2764 4788 維佳香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:22:14 1083 4789 其臻香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:40:28 939 4790 維忠香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:35:47 230 4791 耀榮香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:00:06 2617 4792 锦秋香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:18:43 3284 4793 家明香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:35:39 920 4794 鑑榮香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:34:56 3817 4796 耀祖香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:47:43 3437 4797 文孔义香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:39:46 3929 4798 志雄香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:50:51 809 4799 HON KIT 香港/HKG 3:30:47 826 4801 WAI MING RAYMOND 香港/HKG 3:31:21 2716 4802 Chun Wai 香港/HKG 4:20:55 1149 4803 Wing Hing Barry 香港/HKG 3:42:06 412 4805 Wing-chong 香港/HKG 3:13:47 1026 4806 KI CHEONG 香港/HKG 3:38:47 2091 4807 家輝香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:05:11 1424 4808 TSZ HANG STANLEY 香港/HKG 3:49:18 1103 4810 幹章香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:40:56 494 4811 继基香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:18:09 440 4812 Wai Ling 香港/HKG 3:15:25 566 4813 浩存香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:21:34 2522 4814 志明香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:16:15 961 4815 偉俊香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:36:28 1589 4816 SIU KEUNG 香港/HKG 3:53:35 823 4817 忠誠 Chung Shing 香港/HKG 3:31:16 1882 4818 羅錦培香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:59:43 2719 4819 曾業超 Eddie Tsang 香港/HKG 4:21:03 2051 4821 CHAN WING-ON, 香港/HKG 4:03:56 1741 4822 鄧漢泉香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:56:53 2040 4824 Tung Shing 香港/HKG 4:03:30 1283 4825 永銳香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:45:09 864 4827 錦昌香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:33:12 1174 4828 育全香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:42:38 3036 4829 兆漢香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:29:43 831 4830 Man Fai 香港/HKG 3:31:28 884 4831 曾镇国香港/HKG 香港/HKG 3:33:48 3101 4832 何志成香港/HKG 香港/HKG 4:31:08

Missed me off your list......4:53 The organisation was much better this year . The entry into the full marathon area was strictly controlled . Probably because this year was also the National Games Marathon . The route was also better . I enjoyed the run through the park around the lake between about 36 and 38K atthough thats where I started to slow down and a strong wind picked up .... The finish was much much better than last year . Clearly they had learned lessons from last year's mess at the finish point. Many helpers at the start , along the route and the finish all helped to make a good race along with the enthusiastic spectators .

Sorry for the late posting. Agreed that it is much better organise this year and I rate it as one of the best in China. Just to express my disappointment to some Hong Kong runners from a HK club just formed in 2007 I think. Being from HK I felt warm passing through them and yell: "Hong Kong Ka yau" I was responsed with an angry look! Sorry I should have left them alone. I hope it is not a culture developing among HK marathon runners. PM

Universe Running Club? If so I agree.

Let's not focus on which club, but hopefully through different forums/races we can cutivate sportmanship. PM

angry look ...or surprised look ? I find runners sometimes come up behind me and suddenly shout many different things....when I am concentrating on my music , keeping the pain away , wondering what am I doing running a marathon...or just thinking of nothing it gives me a big surprise......so I any of you did shout at me and got a strnage look then I can tell you its not anger....maybe pain , strain or shock :-)

Haha, perhaps Mike is right, at a marathon need to look at everything with open mind! PM

I believe most everyone running the marathon are so focus that nothing matters except keeping up with their's desired pace. Maybe you should not take it so personally.

Right Thecowlau, lesson learnt, don't interact with runners you don't know, as everybody has different focus. PM

Ha ha...Paul; not only our weather gets colder, people too :)

Hi all, something to say again... As a member of the Universe Running Club, I'd be surprised to read these comments. I'm not saying all members are nice but indeed most of us are mature adults and senior enough (in terms of age). Most of us are not keen in getting whatever prizes but just focusing on own targets. Especially for the running group in Beijing (I'm one of them too), it's of very slim chance we won't be friendly to other ppl, no matter fm hong kong or not. Usually we'll have a 'twisted faces' when we're focusing on the road and we might not respond to your gestures correctly... Keith, the weather gets warmer, as well as our hearts.