SCO Kunming Marathon draws people closer, friendlier, and more united

The perfect union of athletic spirit and the 'Shanghai Spirit'

From the very beginning, the SCO Marathon, named after an international organization, has upheld the "Shanghai Spirit" embraced by all member states—mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and the pursuit of common development. While striving for faster, higher, and stronger athletic achievements, the event has always emphasized deepening friendship and people-to-people bonds through sport. At the press conference before the inaugural SCO Marathon, the SCO Secretariat formally announced that the SCO Marathon would not pursue commercialization. Beginning with the second edition in 2017, the event adopted its official slogan: "Friendlier, Closer, More Harmonious" (Дружнее! Ближе! Сплоченнее!). Moreover, the SCO Marathon is open to all so long as they embrace the 20-character "Shanghai Spirit", marathon runners from around the world are welcome to take part.

As of April 2025, the SCO Kunming Marathon has been successfully held for nine consecutive years. Although in-person events were impacted during the pandemic, the combined online and offline participation across all nine editions has reached nearly 2.6 million, including over 100,000 offline participants.

The SCO Kunming Marathon has been awarded a Gold Label Road Race by the Chinese Athletics Association. In December 2018, technical officials from World Athletics were sent to perform an on-site evaluation. They thoroughly reviewed the course, event preparations, and execution over two days before they ultimately praised it highly, stating: "The favorable climate and terrain, high-level organizational skills, and the strong potential of the 'SCO family' all indicate a very bright future for the SCO Kunming Marathon, which is well-positioned to become a globally recognized, world-class event." Later, the SCO Kunming Marathon was designated a World Athletics Elite Label Race, and subsequently, a Gold Label Race.

As previously noted, the SCO Marathon has earned unanimous recognition from heads of member states and has been warmly welcomed by members of the "SCO family." Starting in Kunming, the SCO Marathon has since expanded to other SCO member states, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Among these, the SCO Issyk-Kul Marathon held annually in May in Kyrgyzstan has become known as the "sister race" of the SCO Kunming Marathon. As a dazzling symbol shared by the SCO and its host cities, the SCO Marathon has become a recurring highlight in the organization's cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

The SCO Kunming Marathon, in its own way, has written a moving chapter of the SCO story, and people are looking forward to how it will continue enriching the organization's cultural exchange narrative. If expressed artistically, the SCO Kunming Marathon resembles the iconic traditional Chinese instrumental piece Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon, co-composed by the renowned Chinese musicians Nie Er (a native of Kunming) and Ren Guang—an experience that evokes feelings of poetic beauty and profound joy.