Racing through Chinese charm and kinship culture

ZHENGZHOU — For most marathon runners, 42.2 kilometers tests endurance and discipline. In Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province, the distance also becomes a journey through thousands of years of Chinese civilization.

The 2026 Zhengzhou Marathon on Sunday offered a distinct fusion of city running and cultural heritage.

"What surprised me most this year was encountering both poetry and sport," said Tang Tao, a 35-year-old runner from Zhengzhou who has participated for six consecutive years.

"Whether it was the event's ambiance or the on-site interactive activities, I felt surrounded by poetry," Tang said.

At the pre-race celebration, a specially designed "poetry corridor" drew visitors eager to photograph banners bearing famous Chinese 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.

Together, these poems offered a fitting prelude to the marathon, where uncertainty and determination to keep moving forward are part of every runner's experience.

The poems struck a chord with Jong-May Urbonya, an American cultural influencer who promotes hanfu (traditional Chinese attire) and Chinese traditions to nearly half a million social media followers.

"The indomitable and forward-looking spirit depicted in the verses is precisely what marathon runners must possess," Urbonya said.

Poetry is only part of the story. Zhengzhou bears a long, continuous cultural thread beneath its historical layers. The 3,600-year-old Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC) city wall still stands in the city center, merging the ancient and modern.

Zhao Hengkang, director of the Zhengzhou Sports Bureau, said the 2026 event wove four major local cultural elements — poetry, the surnames, Yuju Opera, and kung fu — throughout the program.

Since its inauguration in 2018, the Zhengzhou Marathon has promoted a "Surname Marathon" concept rooted in Henan's kinship culture, as the province is regarded as the ancestral home for many Chinese families and the origin of numerous surnames.

"For Chinese participants, a surname can evoke family history, ancestral origins and a sense of belonging. For international runners, the experience offers an accessible introduction to a cultural tradition in which a single family name may carry centuries of memory," said Ge Xiangyu, a runner who crossed the finish line carrying a flag bearing his surname.

Showing his medal, Ge added, "The symbolism goes beyond that of a souvenir," noting that runners can personalize the design with magnetic stickers bearing their surnames, making each medal unique.

Amid the hundreds of marathons held across China each year, Zhengzhou stands out for its culture.

"We hope to make the Zhengzhou Marathon not only a competitive event for 25,000 runners, but also an immersive journey into traditional Chinese culture's charm," Zhao said.

XINHUA