Zhuhai Cancels 2024 Marathon Event
The Zhuhai Marathon scheduled for 2024 has been canceled. Originally planned for December 8th, the 2024 Zhuhai Marathon was postponed to January 12th, 2025, following the indiscriminate vehicular incident at the Xiangzhou District Sports Center in Zhuhai on November 11th.
On December 24th, the Zhuhai Marathon Organizing Committee announced that the 2024 Zhuhai Marathon, which was rescheduled for January 12th, 2025, has officially been canceled.
According to the announcement, the committee will process refunds for all registered participants. Registration fees will be refunded in full within 15 working days from the date of the announcement. Participants who secured entry through the first-round lottery will have their spots reserved for the next edition of the race. Reserved entrants must complete registration for the next event and meet all participation requirements and regulations. For the second registration, there will be no lottery due to the cancellation, and registration fees will be fully refunded.
The committee did not provide any specific reasons for the cancellation. However, speculation in the public domain suggests a link to the November incident.
On the evening of November 11th, a 62-year-old man surnamed Fan drove his vehicle onto the public fitness square at the Zhuhai Sports Center and indiscriminately rammed into the crowd. According to police reports, as of the early morning of November 13th, the incident had resulted in the death of 35 people and left 43 others injured.
The Zhuhai Marathon is organized by the Zhuhai Municipal Government, with the Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports, Xiangzhou District Government, Zhuhai High-Tech Industrial Development Zone Management Committee, and Zhuhai Huafa Group Co., Ltd. as the organizers.
Additionally, the Zhuhai Hengqin Marathon, originally scheduled for December 29, 2024, has also been “due to circumstances” postponed to be held on March 23, 2025.