【New Taipei City News】The 2026 New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon kicked off today (March 15), with New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-Ih firing the starting gun for more than 12,000 runners. He expressed his gratitude to all participants, volunteers, and local residents for their enthusiastic support, which has helped make the Wan Jin Shi Marathon the first race in Taiwan to receive the World Athletics Gold Label certification. This year’s event highlights the theme of “Sports Equality,” promoting an inclusive sporting culture for all.
Mayor Hou emphasized that “sports no boundaries and no distances.” To advocate for sports equality, this year’s marathon introduces three new initiatives. First, a non-binary gender category has been established, allowing every runner to be their authentic self. Second, visually impaired pacing runners have been added to the Challenge Group, enabling participants with disabilities to compete alongside guides. Third, 500 exclusive slots for women have been introduced in the Challenge Group to encourage greater female participation in sports.
Hou noted that this marks his 20th consecutive year participating in the Wan Jin Shi Marathon. Over the years, the event has grown from a Bronze Label to a Silver Label and now to a Gold Label race. He thanked all sectors for their continued support, especially local residents in Wanli, Jinshan, and Shimen, who not only cooperated with traffic control measures during the event but also organized cheering squads to support the runners. In addition, numerous police officers, firefighters, environmental protection staff, medical personnel, and volunteers have contributed tirelessly to the event, regardless of weather conditions. Hou expressed his sincere appreciation to all who made the event possible.
This year’s race invited 16 elite international athletes from Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, and other countries who met qualifying standards. In total, runners from 36 countries participated, including 372 international athletes, bringing the total number of participants to over 12,000. In the men’s marathon, Kenya’s Enock ONCHARI claimed the championship with a time of 2:12:46, while in the women’s marathon, Kenya’s Catherine CHEROTICH took first place with a time of 2:32:32. The top domestic finishers were Chou Ting-yin (2:28:43) in the men’s category and Lei Li-sha (2:53:01) in the women’s category. In the 10K race, Tseng Ting-wei won the men’s title with 30:47, while Chen Mei-tung secured the women’s title with 38:01.
The Sports Department explained that this year’s key visual design combines the coastal mountain-and-sea scenery of northern Taiwan with silhouettes of running athletes, symbolizing that everyone who steps onto the starting line is part of this beautiful landscape. The race apparel is no longer differentiated by category but distributed randomly, representing a race without boundaries or labels. Regardless of background, gender, or category, each runner carries a unique story and goal, yet all share the same course in pursuit of their own achievements. Finisher certificates are provided digitally; runners can scan the QR code on their bibs after the race to access their results. For more information about the 2026 New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon, please visit the official website and Facebook page.
