The Hangzhou Marathon, which gets off to a roaring start on Nov 6 in the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province is now in its 30th year.

The race has also become a sort of carnival event not only for the city's residents but also a growing number of competitors who are coming from all over the world to take part. It has been described as one of the most beautiful tracks of its kind in China.

The registration period opened on Sept 26 and ran through Oct 2, and had more than 73,000 people applying online, for a record high. That figure will be whittled down to 32,000 after the organizing committee checks each applicant's credentials and then draws lots.

The finalists are expected to be announced on Oct 11 and can be seen on the website -- www.hzim.org -- or WeChat, at hzim1987. Payments will be processed Oct 15 - 18. In addition, selected participants in both the full and half marathons need to upload a physical exam report.