Sport
African Athletes Win Both Women's and Men's Titles at 2014 C&D Xiamen International Marathon
Lamine Diack , President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), attended the opening ceremony and granted IAAF Gold Label Road Race status to the event. It was the first time that Mr. Diack attended a road race event held in China . He said that as the stature of the marathon has continued to grow in this beautiful city, the Xiamen Marathon has set a model and an example for marathon races in other Chinese cities and taken its rightful position in the global track and field community.
Volunteers wearing green head-scarves, white T-shirts and carrying trash bags along the marathon route were especially eye-catching, as they labored to collect bottles, plastic bags and other rubbish discarded by spectators, leaving not a trace behind. The Xiamen Marathon is committed to putting on a green event.
The Kinglong Hundred Meter Picture Roll competition was held during the marathon, where 100 children expressed their interpretation of the city of Xiamen and of the marathon event by hand painting on a hundred-meter picture roll. Mr. Diack handed out an award to the winning child and said, "Children are the future of our world and carry our hope. It is very meaningful to hold such a competition at the marathon event so as to allow the whole of society to show their concern for their healthy growth of its children."
In the aftermath of the successful event the spirit lives on in the hearts and minds of the people of Xiamen and of every person who attended. Next year, an even more environmentally-friendly and mature Xiamen Marathon will welcome runners from all around the world.