China has held 1,072 marathons so far in 2018, according to a national track and field conference in Kunming, Southwest Yunnan Province on Monday.

A half marathon held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, on November 25. (Photo: VCG)

Over 5.3 million runners participated in the marathons, the official data showed.

“Marathons boosted the development of mass sports, and encourages nationwide fitness,” said Yu Hongchen, the director for track and field sports at the General Administration for Sport of China.

To better manage the marathons, the Chinese Athletic Association released new marathon regulations of the runners’ registration qualification examination in May, and will soon release new guidelines for participating in marathons and organizing them.

The association said they will also promote more events, such as cross-country races and hiking, to address the popularity imbalance between marathons and other track and field sports.