The 2018 Guangzhou Marathon, to be held on Dec 9, opened for registration at 10:00 on June 30, according to the event's organizing committee.

Registration will be open until July 30, and those interested can sign up for the international event at http://www.guangzhou-marathon.com/ or on the mobile app 马拉马拉.

Hosted by the Chinese Athletic Association (CAA) and the Guangzhou municipal people's government, the Guangzhou Marathon is an annual international sports event held in the Guangdong capital.

The press conference for the 2018 Guangzhou Marathon is held in Guangzhou on June 10. [Photo/guangzhou-marathon.com]

This year's marathon will feature two events – the full marathon (42.195 kilometers) and the half marathon (21.0975 kilometers), with the number of participants expected to reach 30,000, two thirds of which are expected to join the full marathon competition.

If the number of applications exceeds the limit set by the project, participants will be selected randomly, and the results will be announced in late August, according to the Guangzhou Marathon Organizing Committee.

The requirements for this year's marathon are as follows: you must be at least 20 years old to participate in the full marathon, and at least 16 years old for the half marathon. In addition, applicants must provide a certificate of completion for either the full or half marathon within the last two years. The application fee for Chinese runners (including residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) is 120 yuan ($18.14 ) and $30 for overseas applicants. 

Participants compete in the 2017 Guangzhou Marathon. [Photo/guangzhou-marathon.com]

The organizing committee continues to offer special channels for the Guangzhou Marathon's "loyal runners" and "elite runners" who have participated in the annual event for six consecutive years from 2012 to 2017, as well as those who have performed excellently in previous Guangzhou Marathons. 

The 2018 Guangzhou Marathon has raised standards for participants, requiring them to provide certificates of previous participation. It also offers 200 free entries to the 2018 Beijing Marathon to qualified applicants who successfully applied for the 2018 Guangzhou Marathon. This year's event will also raise funds for charity.