Photo: Courtesy of Wanda Group

Chengdu has been chosen as China's candidate to join the prestigious World Marathon Majors series alongside the established "Big Six" of Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York City and Tokyo. 

It is the first marathon race in China to be nominated as a candidate race.

The Sichuan Province capital city must first undergo a long-term, multiyear evaluation process, said Tim Hadzima, World Marathon Majors (WMM) executive director, during a press conference on Tuesday in Beijing. About 7,000 Chinese ran in the WMM marathons last year, Hadzima noted.

The October 27 Chengdu race will expand this year to include 30,000 runners with applications starting June, Xiong Yan, chief of Chengdu Sports Bureau, said Tuesday. 

The prize money and course design will also be upgraded, Xiong said. 

"The route is being further optimized on the basis of last year to reduce the short distance turn-backs in the second half of the race and to improve the performance of the athletes," she said. 

The route links past with present, Xiong noted, as the race starts at the Jinsha Site ­Museum, passes the historical and cultural attractions of Qintai Lu before heading to the "modern passage" of Tianfu ­Avenue.

Marathons are the most rapidly developing mass participation sport in China, said Shui Tao, director of the marathon branch of Chinese Athletics Association. More than 1,600 were held across the country last year. 

Staging a World Marathon Majors race in China would boost all marathons in the country, Shui asserted.

"Being a WMM candidate race means we can invite some world-class athletes to China, which means a rare chance for Chinese runners to learn running experience," Shui said. "The organizational experience of a WMM event will also provide things we can learn."

Inaugurated in 2017, the Chengdu Marathon has ­attracted 48,000 runners from more than 54 countries and regions in the last two years, but has not yet earned the top - gold - label for a marathon from the International Association of Athletics Federations. 

Since its establishment, it has been striving to become the most influential and popular marathon in China.

Home to 16 million people, the Southwest China city markets itself as a scientific and technological center, trade and financial center, transportation and communication hub of Southwestern China. 

Chengdu's historical and cultural sites - most notably the Chengdu Research Base of ­Giant Panda Breeding - ­attracted 15 million tourists last year.

One key element of the World Marathon Majors, alongside the elite series, is the Six Star program where everyday runners aim to complete all six majors in their lifetime in order to receive a special Six Star Finisher medal.

So far more than 6,000 runners globally have achieved this and four local runners who have completed the challenge and received their Six Star ­medals also attended the press conference on Tuesday.