China's marathon scene is thriving like never before. Over the past three years, both the number of races and participation have grown significantly. Meanwhile, runners are getting faster: more athletes are achieving personal bests, and average finishing times continue to improve each year. These remarkable trends highlight the explosive growth in the popularity of marathon running and the broader rise of grassroots sports participation across the country. (Produced by Chen Lidan, Zhan Huilan, Lu Dong and intern Ding Man; Proofread by Zhang Jian, Yang Yang and He Jieqiong))

Highlights of 2026 Malaysia Masters badminton tournament

In pics: Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge

Highlights of 2026 Malaysia Masters badminton tournament

The Democratic Republic of Congo's historic return to the FIFA World Cup is facing an unexpected geopolitical and public health hurdle just weeks before kickoff, as the United States implements sweeping entry restrictions to contain a worsening Ebola outbreak in East and Central Africa.

China's Zheng Qinwen will open her French Open campaign against a qualifier as the main draw for the year's second Grand Slam tournament was unveiled on Thursday, while world number one Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic landed in opposite halves of the men's draw.

Draw for French Open tennis tournament held in Paris

Germany's 2026 FIFA World Cup squad announcement contained several surprises, led by the late return of 40-year-old Manuel Neuer as the team's No. 1 goalkeeper.

Aston Villa ended a 30-year wait for major silverware after defeating Freiburg 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday night.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's national football team has cancelled a planned pre-World Cup training camp in Kinshasa following the country's latest Ebola outbreak, according to a team official.

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) on Thursday announced the third batch of sanctions related to match-fixing, gambling and other misconduct in Chinese football, handing lifetime bans to 17 individuals and imposing an additional six-point deduction on Meizhou Hakka Football Club.

Aston Villa ended a 30-year wait for major silverware after defeating Freiburg 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday night.

The Shanghai Sharks defeated the Beijing Ducks 81-66 on the road in Game 3 of the CBA semifinals on Wednesday night, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.Shanghai relied on dominant performances from Brandon Goodwin and Hassan Whiteside at both ends of the floor to seize control early and

Neymar has suffered a new injury scare less than a month before Brazil's opening match of the FIFA World Cup against Morocco.The 34-year-old Santos star missed his team's home Copa Sudamericana match against San Lorenzo on Wednesday due to a calf injury, though the Brazilian club sought to allay

China defeated Australia 2-0 in the semifinals of the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup here on Tuesday, reaching the final for the first time in 22 years.

Men's high jump final at 1st Asian Jumping Championships in China's Chongqing