The 2019 Rugao International Marathon was held in Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province on March 10.

Hosted by the Chinese Athletic Association, Jiangsu sports bureau and Rugao municipal people's government, the event was also a part of the National Marathon Championships.

More than 10,000 runners from over 10 countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Algeria, Germany and Spain participated in three groups of races, namely a full marathon (42.195 kilometers), a half-marathon (21.0975 km), and a 5.5-km run.

Runners participating in the races were aged from 7 to 77.

Following the competitions, a runner from Ethiopia won the men's group with a time of 2 hr 20min 43.5 sec in the full marathon.

The women's full marathon race and both half-marathons were also won by Ethiopians.

Rugao marathon provides an opportunity for runners to enjoy the city's beautiful scenery and to learn more about Rugao's development.

Runners leave the starting line of the 2019 Rugao International Marathon at the city's Olympic Sports Center on March 10. [Photo/VCG]