The story
Shanghai Yangtze River Half Marathon in Chongming/Shanghai
The Shanghai Yangtze River Half Marathon runs a single 21.0975-kilometre loop through Chongming Island's Dongtan Wetland, a Yangtze River roundabout and forest roads, starting and finishing at a bicycle-themed park in Chenjia town. Established in 2014 and A1-certified by the China Athletics Association, it caps entries at 5,000 runners and requires proof of at least two prior 10-kilometre-plus races within 24 months.
A field capped at 5,000 runners and a qualification bar requiring two prior 10-kilometre-plus races within the previous 24 months keeps the Shanghai Yangtze River Half Marathon smaller and more vetted than the city's headline marathon, and its course runs through terrain no downtown road race can offer: the Dongtan Wetland, a Yangtze River roundabout, and stretches of forest road across Chongming, Shanghai's largest and least developed island.