The Greek color shone at the Beijing Marathon this year, as Greece took responsibility for the start of the race and awarded selected organizers. The public who attended this massive sporting event in the Chinese capital warmly applauded this initiative. At 7.30 in the morning, the ambassador of Greece to China, Evgenios Kalpyris, together with the mayor of Beijing Yin Yong, gave the signal for the start of the match from the official platform. After the end of the race, the Greek ambassador awarded the pacers (pacers), volunteers, judges and medical staff who contributed to the “Marathon Spirit” with SEGAS commemorative medals. In total, 30,000 athletes took part in the race, with Deresa Geleta Ulfata of Ethiopia finishing first in 2:07:41. In addition, Greece presented the Greek marathon in a special exhibition at the Beijing Marathon Expo organized from October 26 to 28, with significant participation of Chinese sports organizations and commercial companies in the field of sports. Mr. Kalpyris stated that Greece’s goal is to popularize the Authentic Athens Marathon and project the Greek sports spirit to the Chinese public, strengthening Greece’s public diplomacy abroad. The Greek participation in the largest Chinese marathon took place at the initiative of the Embassy of Greece in Beijing, in collaboration with SEGAS, and exchanges and events are planned in Greece and China to consolidate cooperation in this field.
