Participants run during the 2024 Shanghai Marathon in Shanghai, East China, Dec 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- A total of 749 road running races were held in China in 2024, featuring over 7.04 million participants, according to the country's 2024 road running report released by the Chinese Athletics Association on Friday.

The number of participants has witnessed a year-on-year increase of one million, it added.

Runners' performance has significantly improved, as over 18,000 runners finished marathons within three hours in certified events, and the average finishing time is 4:07:01, which has improved by over five minutes compared to 2023.

In 2024, national records were refreshed for men's marathon and half marathon for both genders.

Seven top events including the 2024 Shanghai Marathon generated direct economic benefits of 419 million yuan (about $57.8 million) on average.