The Xiamen International Marathon has become one of the most prominent and world-renowned marathon events， due to its professionalism in organization and wide brand communication. It was first recognized as an IAAF Gold Label Road Race in December 2007， and is now being awarded the same honor for the sixth consecutive year.

Approximately 80，000 participants will compete for winning spots in the 2013 event's Marathon (42.195 km)， Half Marathon (21.0975 km)， 10KM Run and 5KM Run categories on the Xiamen International Marathon course， which is regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. In addition， races including the National Marathon Championship， the Cross-Strait Invitational Marathon Tournament， the Wheelchair Half Marathon， and the Roller SKating 10KM Race will be held.

Highlights of the 2013 Xiamen International Marathon

1. A high level of professionalism amid fierce competition

The 2013 C&D Xiamen International Marathon will invite several athletes with the potential of breaking the previous world recorDS of 2:07:23 for men and 2:22:38 for women. To date， more than 40 marathoners from over ten countries worldwide， including Kenya， Ethiopia and Russia， are set to take part in the event. In addition， male and female winners of the 2012 Xiamen International Marathon will defend their rights to the crown in the 2013 race.

2. Outsized rewards

The first prize for both male and female Full Marathons remains US$40，000， the top payout for this kind of race in China. The event will continue to provide Special Awards of Achievement: US$10，000 for breaking the record set so far during previous Xiamen Marathons and US$1 million for setting a new world record. There will be rewards for the top eight players of both male and female Wheelchair Half Marathons， and the first prize will be 10，000 yuan. Rewards will also be given to the teams of the top 30 players of the Invitational Inter-City Competition.

3. Scheduling adjustments and more formalized management

At the suggestions of IAAF/AIMS， the 2013 Marathon will start in four divisions: the skating competition will start at 7:30 a.m.， the wheelchair half marathon at 7:35 a.m.， invited female players and female players of the National Marathon Championship at 7:45 a.m.， and other players at 8:00 a.m.

4. Extensive publicity to enhance the prominence of the event

The 2013 Xiamen International Marathon will continue the same high level of promotion as previously done via traditional media while highlighting the role of online media. The 2013 event will be broadcast live jointly by CCTV and Xiamen TV， while the CCTV sports channel and more than 40 provincial and local city television networks across China will simULCast the event. In addition， continuous aerial footage will be provided by CCTV's roving helicopter.

5. A highly original opening ceremony

In line with this year's theme and international marketing and branding eFForts， the opening ceremony of the 2013 C&D Xiamen International Marathon will feature Olympic champions Lin Qingfeng and Justin Gatlin， as well as the Marathon Ambassador Lun-mei Guey. Ambassador Guey， in a creative move， will present a gift to Xiamen while giving a blessing to the world， making the marathon race a New Year gift to the city and its citizens， and， at the same time， showcasing the development vision of the competition to Xiamen's citizens and their friends at home and abroad. Meanwhile， event organizers have made arrangements with the local post office， which will provide a unique postmark so that runners and viewers at the scene can send Marathon-themed cards all over the world directly from the event.

About Xiamen， Fujian province， China

Xiamen is called the Garden on the Sea while often being described as "a city on the sea， the sea in the city". Xiamen is not only an UN Habitat Scroll of Honour Award City， a National Civilized City and one of the five Special Economic Zones set UP during the launch of China's opening-up and reform policy， but also a modern international port， a scenic touristic city， a center with modern services industries and technical innovations， and an international shipping hub.