The 2023 Zhejiang-Shanghai Rural Half Marathon kicks off in the Pinghu Agricultural Economic Development Zone in Pinghu, a county-level city of Jiaxing in Zhejiang province, on Nov 12. [Photo/WeChat account: phfabu]

The 2023 Zhejiang-Shanghai Rural Half Marathon, an A1-class event certified by the Chinese Athletics Association, started in the Pinghu Agricultural Economic Development Zone in Pinghu, a county-level city of Jiaxing in Zhejiang province, on the morning of Nov 12.

The event, co-hosted by Pinghu and Jinshan district in Shanghai and co-organized by Guangchen town in Pinghu and Langxia town in Jinshan district, drew 3,049 runners from four countries.

The event included a 21.09-kilometer half marathon and 7-km fun run. Runners were treated to beautiful scenery while witnessing regional cooperation and cultural exchange between Zhejiang and Shanghai.

The event is also an example of Pinghu integrating into the development of the Yangtze River Delta.

The winners of the event were Nano Guta Kebede from Ethiopia and Kong Jie from China, who won the men's and women's group championships of the half marathon, respectively.