Shanghai, China - Nov 29, 2020 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Starter pistols fired to start race
2. Various of runners running
3. Runners rushing to finish line
4. Timer
5. Various of runners rushing to finish line
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Xia Wenjie, participant:
"A while ago, Shanghai reported some new COVID-19 cases, and we thought the event might be canceled. So it hasn't come easy, and we all gave it our best shot."
7. Various of runners, spectators
8. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wang Jie, participant:
"I'm super happy today to achieve my personal best in the Shanghai International Marathon. I was very excited to even stand at the starting line, as this is the only race I have taken part in this year. Luckily it went ahead as scheduled."
9. Various of runners hugging
10. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhou Jin, General Manager, Shanghai Donghao Lansheng Event Management Co., Ltd.:
"All of the athletes this year were required to submit the results of their nucleic acid tests, and we also required their cooperation in reporting their health status on our mobile application."
11. Various of runners racing
12. Various of runners celebrating, taking photos

The 2020 Shanghai International Marathon was held on Sunday despite challenges posed by COVID-19.

As runners crossed the finish line one by one, it presented not just moments of personal victory, but rather a championship of human spirit in the face of the pandemic.

Because of COVID-19, this year's event only focused on the full 42-kilometer marathon. The number of participants was limited to 9,000 as against last year's 38,000.

Thanks partially to the good weather, a lot of contenders were able to break their own personal records. But with COVID-19 still haunting the world, the biggest achievement for runners this year was simply participation.

"A while ago, Shanghai reported some new COVID-19 cases, and we thought the event might be canceled. So it hasn't come easy, and we all gave it our best form," said Xia Wenjie, a participant.

"I'm super happy today to achieve my personal best in the Shanghai International Marathon. I was very excited to even stand at the starting line, as this is the only race I have taken part in this year. Luckily it went ahead as scheduled," said Wang Jie, a participant.

The organizers of the event have taken extra precautions this year to ensure everyone's safety.

"All of the athletes this year were required to submit the results of their nucleic acid tests, and we also required their cooperation in reporting their health status on our mobile application," said Zhou Jin, General Manager of the Shanghai Donghao Lansheng Event Management Co., Ltd.

This marathon is the only Platinum Label Road Race, one of the designations for the world's leading marathon races, to run as usual this year amid the pandemic.