The 2026 BUCT Marathon Carnival and the 5th Capital Universities Marathon Relay opened at BUCT’s Changping Campus on October 11. Teams from 50 universities across Beijing joined BUCT faculty, students, alumni, and corporate partners for a campus celebration of sports and culture.

With the theme “Running at BUCT, Relaying Toward the Future”, the event used sports to highlight the University’s achievements in sports-based education and the appeal of its “Running at BUCT” brand. Building on the inaugural faculty–student marathon relay in 2025, this year’s event expanded into a campus festival combining sports, culture, exhibitions, interactive activities, and industry–education collaboration. It aimed to support the development of well-rounded graduates and create a new platform for sports exchanges among Beijing universities and for cooperation among the University, businesses, and the local community.

BUCT hosted the event, with support from the Track and Field Committee of the Beijing University Sports Association. The Committee’s Road Running Club and Beijing Zhongrui Sports Industry Co., Ltd. managed event operations. The program included a university marathon relay, a half-marathon relay, and a fun run. The university relay had divisions for universities administered by central ministries, Beijing municipal universities, and vocational colleges. The half-marathon relay included BUCT student, faculty, and faculty–student teams, as well as corporate and alumni teams. About 1,500 runners from BUCT and other organizations took part.

The opening ceremony was attended by:

·Li Nan, Party Secretary of BUCT

·Lang Hongqi, Party Secretary and President of Chemical Industry Press

·Wu Yingce, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Association of Higher Education

·Wen Yonghong, Deputy Party Secretary of BUCT and Secretary of its Discipline Inspection Commission

·Liang Yongtu, member of the Standing Committee of the BUCT Party Committee and Vice President

·Su Haijia, Vice President of BUCT

·Luo Bingquan, Executive Deputy Director and Office Director of the Physical Education Committee of the China Association of Higher Education

·Hao Guang’an, President of the Beijing University Sports Association

·Xiong Yuchuan, Director of the University–City Integration Division of the Beijing Future Science City Administrative Committee

·Zhang Wei, Secretary-General of the Beijing University Sports Association

·Niu Wenhua, Principal of the Middle School Affiliated to BUCT

·Wang Liping, 2000 Sydney Olympic gold medalist in the women’s 20-kilometer race walk

A Scenic Autumn Course

The race started and finished in front of Teaching Building No. 1, following a loop around campus. At BUCT, cosmos flowers swayed in the autumn breeze, golden ginkgo leaves carpeted the ground, and the maple foliage blazed red.The wooded slopes of Yuping Hill were ablaze with fall color, while the library and Student Activity Center stood in the autumn sunshine. Runners passed the Mechanical, Electrical and Information Building, the Arts and Science Building, Yuping Hill, the Student Activity Center, Teaching Building No. 2, the library, the covered athletic field, and the gym before returning to the starting point. The course brought together the colors of fall, campus architecture, and the energy of the race, giving runners a glimpse of BUCT’s distinctive character.

Schools and departments set up 15 cheering stations along the course. Faculty and students waved flags and cheered, filling the campus with energy. Their applause and cheers, together with the autumn flowers and runners on the course, made for a memorable campus scene.

Campus Culture on Display

Performances added to the festive atmosphere. The opening ceremony began with “Ode to a Flourishing Era”, a dragon drum dance performed by students from the Middle School Affiliated to BUCT. The powerful drumming and energetic choreography quickly got the crowd excited. A performance troupe from the Kezuo Middle Banner Culture and Tourism Group presented the dance “Men of the Grassland” and the morin khuur piece “Ten Thousand Galloping Horses”, bringing the spirit of the grasslands to campus and drawing warm applause. Between award presentations, BUCT’s street dance club performed “Let’s Dance Together”, the Red Cross Society presented “Love” in sign language, and the Art Troupe Dance Company performed “Scholars with Paper Fans”, a piece inspired by traditional Chinese aesthetics. The varied program—from dragon drum dancing and morin khuur music to street dance and classical dance—made the event both a sporting competition and a showcase of campus culture.

A Carnival Brings Energy to Campus

The marathon carnival, a highlight of the event, took place along Boxue Avenue. It brought together sports, culture, exhibitions, interactive activities, and industry–education collaboration. More than 30 booths featured student clubs, brand displays, games, and food, showcasing the interests and energy of BUCT students.

Participants could tap their phones to complete activities and collect digital stamps, which they could exchange for gifts. A photo backdrop featuring marathon imagery and BUCT landmarks gave runners a place to mark their finish. The carnival also featured seasonal food and craft activities, including the Hawthorn Festival and Maple Leaf Festival. A Kezuo Middle Banner product display offered specialties from the grasslands. Club activities and brand giveaways added to the experience, letting participants run, watch, and join in the fun. Students could also enter on-site activities for a chance to win more than 1,000 prizes, including headphones, watches, and glasses.

The “Champion Face to Face” event took place at Qiuzhen Lecture Hall. Wang Liping, the gold medalist in the women’s 20-kilometer race walk at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, joined faculty and students to share stories from her life in and beyond competition, and reflect on pursuing dreams through perseverance.

Race Safety and Support

To keep the event safe and orderly while minimizing disruption to campus traffic and daily life, the University coordinated security, transportation, logistics, and medical services. It planned in advance, managed access by location and time, and provided on-site guidance to keep the course clear and campus operations running smoothly.

A total of 240 volunteers and 55 race officials supported the event. The Logistics Support Department, North Campus Office, University Hospital, and schools and departments worked together to provide medical care, supplies, transportation, and meals. Medical stations, ambulances, and mobile AED teams were stationed along the course, and arrangements were made with designated hospitals to provide expedited care if needed. Race and finisher packs included nearly 20 types of items, such as clothing, bibs, drinks, and food. Volunteers, race officials, medical staff, and security personnel worked together to keep the event running smoothly.

After the races concluded, the results were announced:

Fun Run

·Men: Zhang Huanyu, Lü Mingjie, and Ma Yidong placed first, second, and third.

·Women: Guo Qianrong, Zhen Haorui, and Wang Yilei placed first, second, and third.

Half-Marathon Relay

·Student division: College of Materials Science and Engineering Undergraduate Team 4 placed first; College of Mathematics and Physics Student Team 1 placed second; College of Materials Science and Engineering Undergraduate Team 3 placed third.

·Faculty–student division: College of Humanities and Law Faculty–Student Team 1 placed first; College of International Education Faculty–Student Team 1 placed second; College of Life Science and Technology Faculty–Student Team placed third.

·Faculty division: Joint Administrative and Logistics Team placed first; Administrative Team 2 placed second; Administrative Team 1 placed third.

·Corporate and alumni division: Yanshan Petrochemical Team placed first; Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology Team 5 (Hefeng Huayu Team) placed second; Beijing Changping District Hospital Team 1 placed third.

University Marathon Relay

·Universities administered by central ministries: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences placed first, followed by Peking University and Tsinghua University.

·Beijing municipal universities: Capital Medical University placed first, followed by Beijing University of Agriculture and Capital University of Physical Education and Sports.

·Vocational colleges: Beijing Polytechnic College placed first, followed by Civil Affairs Vocational University and Beijing Institute of Economics and Management.

BUCT 5-Kilometer Single-Lap Records

Lü Xiangqian set the men’s record at 18 minutes, 34 seconds. Gao Ai set the women’s record at 20 minutes, 46 seconds. Their speed and endurance embodied the determination of the runners.

Partners Help Make the Event a Success

The event was made possible by support from partners across the community. The organizing committee held a ceremony to recognize its sponsors and thank them for their contributions. Bank of China Beijing Branch, the event’s sole financial partner, supported education and sports development through its financial services. SF Express and Taikang Pension Beijing Branch, honorary partners, provided professional services. Official sponsors, including DiDi, DiDi Qingju, Li-Ning, Meituan Bike, and Qidai, a brand specializing in new Chinese-style Xiangyunsha silk, offered participants and attendees event-related benefits in areas including transportation and sports equipment. Their support helped bring the event to life and promote campus sports.