Beijing Marathon to Return after 2-Year Covid Hiatus

Staff members gather at Tiananmen Square before the start of the annual Beijing Marathon in Beijing, China November 3, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee
Staff members gather at Tiananmen Square before the start of the annual Beijing Marathon in Beijing, China November 3, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee
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Beijing Marathon to Return after 2-Year Covid Hiatus

Staff members gather at Tiananmen Square before the start of the annual Beijing Marathon in Beijing, China November 3, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee
Staff members gather at Tiananmen Square before the start of the annual Beijing Marathon in Beijing, China November 3, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Thousands of runners will line up for the Beijing marathon in November after a two-year Covid pause, organizers said, as sporting events gradually return to China.

The world's most populous country has cancelled almost all international sports competitions since Covid emerged there in 2019, with the Beijing Winter Olympics in February this year a rare exception.

Race organizers said on Tuesday that 30,000 runners would be able to take part in the 26-mile (42-kilometer) course through the capital on November 6 -- but only Beijing residents can register.

China is the last major economy wedded to a zero-Covid policy, stamping out virus flare-ups with snap shutdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines.

The table tennis world team championships kicked off last Friday in the megacity of Chengdu, though participants must stay in a "closed loop", and it was announced last week that China would host the season-ending World Tour Finals for badminton in December.



F1 Seeks to Spice up Monaco GP with More Mandatory Pitstops

Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
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F1 Seeks to Spice up Monaco GP with More Mandatory Pitstops

Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)

Formula One's governing body is planning to spice up the showcase Monaco Grand Prix by forcing teams to carry out more pitstops.

The FIA said in a statement that an F1 commission meeting in London on Tuesday had discussed "proposals for Monaco-specific regulations" to promote less processional racing at the tight and twisty circuit.

"The commission agreed to increase the numbers of mandatory pitstops in the race," it added, without providing further details.

"These proposals will be further discussed by the sporting advisory committee in the coming weeks."

The current mandatory minimum is one pitstop per race.

Overtaking is extremely difficult around Monaco, with qualifying and pole position a much more crucial element than at other races.

The FIA said there would also no longer be any restriction on the number of gearboxes teams could use during a season as the reliability of current designs had rendered the regulation obsolete.