Organizing races well is a marathon task

Beijing residents now have to get new license plates for cars through a lottery thanks to the excessive demand and limited supply. But will you believe that one also has to get a chance to compete in a coveted marathon race through a draw of lots?

As unbelievable as it may sound, this is what has been happening at some of China's prestigious marathon races because long-distance running has become hugely popular with today's health-conscious people. In a way, this reflects Chinese people's rising consciousness about fitness and recreation.

For last year's Beijing Marathon, for instance, more than 65,000 runners had applied for the 30,000 available spots. So the organizing committee had to organize a ballot to choose the lucky participants.