In Zhengzhou, central China’s Henan Province, the distance can also become a journey through thousands of years of Chinese civilization.
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distance → become → civilization
Held on October 18, the 2026 Zhengzhou Marathon offered a distinctive fusion of city running and cultural heritage.
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“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.
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who → surprise → event
“Whether it was the ambience of the event or the on-site interactive activities, I felt surrounded by poetry,” Tang said.
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Tang → surround → poetry
At the pre-race carnival, a specially designed “poetry corridor” drew visitors eager to photograph banners bearing famous Chinese verses.
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corridor → design → 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.
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breeze → begin → perseverance
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.
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perseverance → offer → 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.
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poems → promote → chord
“The indomitable and forward-looking spirit depicted in the verses is precisely what marathon runners must possess,” Urbonya said.
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As one of the cradles of Chinese civilization, Zhengzhou bears a long, continuous cultural thread beneath its layers of history.
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Zhengzhou → bear → 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.
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wall → stand → ancient
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.
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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.
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province → promote → surnames
“For Chinese participants, a surname can evoke family history, ancestral origins and a sense of belonging.
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surname → evoke → 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.
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who → offer → 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.
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medal → show → surnames
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.
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Zhao → hold → culture
The Aporia
