On 26 March 2023, the SCO International Marathon kicked off in Kunming. The Yunnan Provincial Sport Department, the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of the Yunnan Province and the Kunming Municipal Administration organised the event.
Distinguished guests, including SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Tajikistan to the People’s Republic of China Zohir Ozod Saidzoda, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the People’s Republic of China Farkhod Arziyev, as well as other representatives of SCO countries’ diplomatic missions, watched the event.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Zhang Ming emphasised the tremendous significance of the SCO Kunming Marathon. He noted that the first marathon had been held in 2016, and that it had become a good tradition since then. The event symbolises friendship and cooperation between SCO countries and embodies the Shanghai Spirit.
The 2023 marathon involved about 20,000 professional and amateur athletes from 18 countries.
The SCO member states regularly host similar sporting events, namely the Issyk-Kul Marathon, the Dushanbe Half-Marathon and the Tashkent Half-Marathon.