BEIJING - The 2010 Beijing Marathon will hit the road on Oct 24, marking the 30th anniversary of the annual event in the capital city.

The 2010 Beijing Marathon will begin at 8 am at Tian'anmen Square. The 42.195km course will cross the Xicheng, Dongcheng, Haidian and Chaoyang districts and end at the National Olympic Center in the northern part of the city.

About 8,500 runners will take part in the full-course marathon, while more than 21,500 competitors from 48 countries and regions will run in the other three events - a half marathon, 9 km race and mini-marathon.

Elite marathoners include the Tokyo Marathon men's winner, Salim Kipsang from Kenya, and Dalian Marathon men's champion Gert Thys of South Africa.

With the theme of "Run for More", the 2010 Beijing marathon will also serve as the National Marathon Championship and the 11th Capital University Marathon Challenge, which will attract a healthy number of domestic and college runners.

Besides the races, a series of other activities will be held on the sidelines to promote the event, including a Marathon Expo.

According to organizers, the purpose of the expo is to make distance running a popular sport in China and also enhance the development of the National Fitness Program.

A day before the race, the 2010 China City Marathon Sales and Marketing Summit will be held.

"The summit will provide a platform for event organizers from marathon-hosting cities to learn from each other and take marathon events in China to a higher level," said Wang Dawei, vice-director of China's Athletics Administrative Center.

The organizing committee will also hold a large-scale charity event with cooperation from the Chinese Athletics Association and China Children and Teenagers' Fund.

China Daily