Taipei City Government

In the morning of December 17, a crowd comprising 30,000 runners from both Taiwan and abroad gathered at Civic Plaza, awaiting anxiously for the sound of the starting pistol kicking-off the annual Taipei Marathon.

Despite the cold weather reaching 11-degree Celsius, Mayor Ko Wen-je unveiled the exciting news that the event has received the award for international marketing in the Ministry of Education’s “Sports Taiwan Local Characteristic Sport Event Nomination.” In the future, Taipei Marathon will seek to become an urban marathon with strong local characteristics through acquiring top international certification.

During his address, he expressed his welcome to the runners for taking part in the 2017 Taipei Marathon.

The mayor pointed out that as the first major international sports event to take place after the conclusion of the 2017 Summer Universiade in Taipei, this year’s marathon attracted 3,200 international athletes from 51 countries. The organizers at city hall invested much time and effort to ensure that the marathon will once again bring Taipei into the global spotlight through its demonstration of passion and vitality.

Regarding the marathon route this year, Ko remarked that the runners will head past the four old city gates, including North Gate, East Gate, Lesser South Gate, and South Gate, leading them onto a tour of Taipei’s major historical sites.

Finally, the mayor took the opportunity to express his gratitude to the sponsors, medical staff, police and traffic personnel, and marathon staff members for making the event possible. He wished success to the marathon and the athletes good luck.