The 2026 Shijiazhuang Marathon in Hebei province, held on March 29th, marked a vibrant event which highlighted the growing enthusiasm and appeal of the long-distance race in China, attracting a total of 35.000 runners.

The Embassy of Greece in China was proud to participate in this event, celebrating the marathon—a sport that traces its origins in ancient Greek heritage—while further strengthening athletic and cultural ties between Greece and China.

Early in the morning of the 29th of April, H.E the Ambassador of Greece to China, Dr. Evgenios Kalpyris, together with other dignitaries, officially launched the 2026 Shijiazhuang Marathon.

On the previous day, Ambassador Kalpyris had inaugurated the Greek exhibition, “The Olympic Spirit: From Ancient to Modern Olympic Games”, at the Shijiazhuang Marathon Expo Site, as a central part of the Marathon Culture Exhibition. The exhibition highlights the timeless values of the Olympic ideal, tracing over 2,800 years of Olympic heritage, from its origins in Ancient Greece, to its modern revival and the 2024 Paris Olympics, through rare historical photographs and illustrations of unique archaeological artifacts.

The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the Hebei Provincial People's Government and the Shiziazhuang Municipal People’s Government, distinguished guests, as well as a large public.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Kalpyris highlighted “the common Olympic traditions that unite Greece and China” and added: ‘‘In ancient Greece, faith in humanity, equality, brotherhood and peace for the whole world, along with the spirit of companionship and noble competition, shaped the athletic ideal, which was remarkably expressed in the Olympic Games’’. He also noted that the fact the Shijiazhuang Marathon attracted tens of thousands of people, demonstrates the enduring value and universal symbolism of this sport.

The Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Hebei Provincial Sports Bureau, Mr. Wang Biao, stressed in his speech that “as an important part of the Olympic culture and Greek culture, the marathon sport, spirit and culture have exerted an increasingly far-reaching influence across the globe. It is our sincere hope that through this event, we will further deepen all-round exchanges and cooperation between Hebei and Greece in the sports sector, so that sports can better benefit the people of both sides”.

After Beijing, Chengdu and Fenyang, Shijiazhuang marked the fifth successful stop of the exhibition tour in China, reflecting the deep appreciation and love of the Chinese people for the Olympic culture.