On the afternoon of November 20th, a press conference was held for the 2023 Guangzhou Marathon, where the organizing committee revealed its mascot, finisher medals and the attire for participants this year.

It is understood that the current edition, with its marathon and half-marathon events, will commence on December 10th, with approximately 30,000 participants.

The upcoming marathon race will commence at the south square of Tianhe Sports Center and will conclude at Huacheng Square. The half-marathon's finish line will be at the east side of the north square in Area A of the Canton Fair Complex. The race route, which has been officially measured and confirmed by international course measurers, will follow the north and south banks of the Pearl River, with minor adjustments in the Tianhe and Haizhu districts as per the road conditions.

Debut of the Guangzhou Marathon Mascot

To commemorate the milestone of the 10th anniversary of the Guangzhou Marathon, the event's mascot - a lively and adorable character modeled after a sheep - was unveiled at the press conference. Dressed in vibrant sportswear predominantly in red, the mascot embodies the new concept of promoting health through sports and  leads the wave of fitness enthusiasm across the city.

The 2023 Guangzhou Marathon mascot will be open for public naming from November 21st at 10 a.m.

Finisher medals of high value

The front side of the finisher medal of the 2023 Guangzhou Marathon showcases the Canton Tower. The main structure of the tower is divided into ten equal parts, with 10, 21, and 42 reliefs of light shapes radiating from the center to the outer edges, representing the decennary journey of the Guangzhou Marathon as well as the full distances of the half-marathon and the marathon, respectively. The bottom of the medal is engraved with the symbol of the words "10th Guangzhou Marathon", which symbolizes the journey of growth that embraces truth, progress, and excellence.

The back side of the medal intricately depicts iconic landmarks of Guangzhou and the distances of the race events. The full marathon medal is gold in color, while the one for half-marathon is a lighter shade of gold, with the design conveying heartfelt blessings to the participants for encouraging them to surpass themselves and strive for victory.

Introduction of "facial recognition" system for the first time

The organizing committee has made optimizations in event services this year. A "facial recognition" system will be introduced for participant verification during pre-race material collection, race-day check-ins, and post-race item distributions. Participants who fail the "facial recognition" verification will not be allowed to participate in the race or receive finisher items.

On the day of competition, the organizing committee will also utilize AI facial recognition technology to capture footage from multiple locations along the route, allowing participants to have a personalized race video available on the same day.

Furthermore, "exclusive benefits" will be provided for participants. From December 8th to 13th, a total of six days, participants can enjoy discounts at various scenic spots, hotels, and restaurants in Guangzhou by presenting their registration ID and race number bib or material collection voucher. These benefits include a 50% discount for visiting the Canton Tower and free admission to Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, among others.

For the first time, the 2023 Guangzhou Marathon will also set up an intangible cultural heritage exhibition at the 2023 Guangzhou Marathon Expo and Huacheng Square, presenting Guangzhou's cultural treasures such as Guangcai porcelain, olive carving, Tongcao paintings, and paper-cutting. This initiative allows the participants to experience the charm of Cantonese culture up close.

Source: Yangcheng Evening News

2023广州马拉松完赛奖牌、吉祥物亮相

11月20日下午，2023广州马拉松赛举行新闻发布会。组委会首次公布赛事吉祥物、今年完赛奖牌及参赛服装样式。

据了解，2023广州马拉松赛将在12月10日（星期日）鸣枪起跑，比赛设马拉松、半程马拉松两个项目，约30000人参加本届广马。

赛事起点设在天河体育中心南广场，马拉松终点设在花城广场，半程马拉松终点设在广交会展馆A区北广场东侧。赛道继续沿用“一江两岸”的路线，根据道路情况对天河、海珠区路段进行微调。比赛路线已经国际丈量员丈量确认。

广马吉祥物首次正式亮相

为庆祝广马十年这一重要的时间节点，发布会上首次发布了广州马拉松赛吉祥物——以羊为原型，身穿以“木棉红”为主色调的运动服，朝气蓬勃、灵动可爱，传递和弘扬运动促进健康的新理念，引领全民运动健身热潮。

广州马拉松赛吉祥物将向社会进行征名，活动于11月21日10时启动。

完赛奖牌彰显价值

2023广州马拉松赛完赛奖牌正面为广州塔，将其主体结构进行十等分，辅之以广州塔为中心从里至外分别散发10条、21条、42条光芒造型浮雕，对应着广马十年、半程马拉松及马拉松的整公里数，底部还刻有广马十年的主题标识，寓意着广马十年惟实励新、精进臻善的成长历程。

奖牌背面则细致雕刻了广州城市地标建筑及比赛项目的公里数，马拉松项目奖牌为金色，半程马拉松赛奖牌为淡金色。奖牌设计颇具匠心，传达着对选手们超越自我、奋勇争先的美好祝愿。

首次运用“人脸识别”系统

今年组委会在赛事服务等方面做了优化。今年广马将运用“人脸识别”系统，分别在赛前领物、比赛日选手检录入场及完赛物品发放环节对参赛选手身份进行核验。如“人脸识别”核验不通过，则无法参加比赛及领取完赛物品。

比赛当天，组委会还将利用AI人脸识别技术，在赛道沿途设置多个机位全程拍摄，完赛选手在赛事当天即可生成专属的广马参赛视频。

此外，今年组委会将继续为广马选手推出“专属礼遇”，参赛选手凭报名身份证件及号码布或领物单，可在12月8日至13日共6天的时间里，享受广州市区相关景区、酒店和餐饮等优惠，如以5折的优惠价格登广州塔、免费参观陈家祠等等。

广马还将首次在博览会现场及花城广场设置非遗文化展区，通过展示广彩、榄雕、通草画、剪纸等广州非物质文化遗产项目，让广大跑友近距离感受广府文化的魅力。

文、图丨记者 苏荇
翻译丨陈萱
责编丨古司祺
校对丨周勇