Recently, World Athletics ("WATH") announced the list of new global Label Road Races for 2025. The Shenzhen Nanshan Half Marathon ("Nanshan Half Marathon") has successfully been awarded the World Athletics Elite Label status.
The World Athletics Label Programme, launched by WATH, is a tiered management system designed to set authoritative standards for global road running events. This system consists of four levels: Platinum Label, Gold Label, Elite Label, and Label, and it includes the world's top road race events.
The inclusion of the Nanshan Half Marathon in the World Athletics Elite Label category is a full affirmation of the event's professionalism and standardized organization. It also signifies a new leap in the level of competition.
The annual Nanshan Half Marathon has become a highly anticipated cultural and sports brand event in Shenzhen and is also one of the most influential professional road running events in Shenzhen and Southern China.
In 2015, the first Nanshan Half Marathon was launched at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, marking the birth of the first district-level government-hosted marathon in Shenzhen that was certified by the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA). Since then, the Nanshan Half Marathon has made continuous progress and distinguished itself among numerous marathons. It won the "Silver Medal Race" from the Chinese Athletics Association in 2016 and 2017 and was honored as the "Gold Medal Race" in 2019.
In 2024, the Nanshan Half Marathon was awarded the "World Athletics Label" status, signifying its successful development into a premium event IP. On December 15, the 2024 Shenzhen Nanshan Half Marathon was successfully held, with approximately 20,000 runners from 35 countries and regions gathering to explore Nanshan with their strides and collectively celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Nanshan Half Marathon.
In 2025, the Nanshan Half Marathon achieved another significant milestone by being promoted to the World Athletics Elite Label category. This elevation not only highlights the event's growing international recognition but also signifies its contribution to the development of a high-level sports event system in Nanshan.
Reporter | Zhang Siyu
Photo | Shenzhen Nanshan District Publicity Department, Nanshan Half Marathon
Editor | Wei Shen, James, Shen He
