The race, which begins at Tiananmen Square and finishes in Celebration Square in Olympic Green, is categorised as a Gold Label Road Race by World Athletics but is not part of the World Marathon Majors.

The race on Sunday (November 6) in the Chinese capital, though, could prove to be one of the most significant in the event’s 41-year history.

About 30,000 runners, some wearing face masks, took part in a chilly and smoggy Beijing Marathon, the first since 2019 after COVID-19 cancelled previous races.

It was the first major sporting event in the Chinese capital since the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in February and March. 

It took place despite a rebound in infections across China, with the daily number of COVID infections hitting a six-month high of 4,420.

That figure is still much lower than most countries that have long re-opened and scrapped restrictions, but China continues to adhere to a strict zero-COVID policy, with harsh lockdowns, quarantines and testing regimens imposed after even the smallest outbreaks.

As a result, only people living in Beijing were allowed to compete in the race, unlike previous editions, which had attracted foreign runners.

All the runners had to be vaccinated, not have left Beijing for seven days before the event and show proof of a negative virus test in the previous 24 hours.

Still draconian, but it was the first signs that the authorities in China were maybe prepared to relax its strict policy.

Over the last two decades China had established itself as a major host of world sporting events.

But the country's zero-COVID policy has seen it sharply cut links to the rest of the world since 2020 in a bid to limit outbreaks caused by travellers.

The policy has disrupted the country's ambitions to host major sporting events nearly all cancelled since the start of the pandemic.

China’s recovery from COVID has certainly proved to be a marathon, so perhaps it is appropriate the 26.2-mile race is offering the country a route out of its international isolation.

Marathons are also planned later this month in Shanghai and Chengdu, the latter being particularly significant as it is due to host the Summer World University Games, originally due to take place in 2021 but which has been postponed twice and are now to be held next year.

Public frustration and resentment about China’s policy has only grown in recent weeks, after Xi Jinping began his record-breaking third term as President last month with a ringing endorsement of his zero-COVID policy.

The unrelenting campaign has kept infections and deaths low, but at a great economic and social cost, as new fast-spreading variants make containing the virus near impossible.

On the same weekend as the Beijing Marathon, more than 1,200 miles away in Hong Kong, the World Rugby Sevens Series returned for the first time since COVID.

Known for its festival vibe and fancy-dress costumes, the three-day tournament is traditionally a major draw for international visitors and big corporates.

More than 20,000 spectators, many wearing mandatory face masks, streamed into the Hong Kong Stadium as music blared on each of the three days of action.

That figure was about half of the number who normally attended and was largely local supporters from the special administrative region of China who filled the stands of the Stadium, with only a smattering of overseas fans making the journey, although officials hope the entire world might be welcome at next year’s tournament, which will return to its traditional April date next year.

The sporting community does not want to admit it, but it needs China back hosting events, especially with Russia currently ruled out of the picture following its invasion of Ukraine turning the country into an international pariah.

Like Russia, China is hugely experienced at staging major events. 

Event-owners can rest assured, on the whole, that competitions staged there will be technically outstanding.

In a country so big the competition between cities to host big international events, offering a unique opportunity to help put their names on the world stage and often justify and stimulate infrastructure investment, also meant they were often willing to pay over the odds for second-tier events.

The signs are encouraging for one of the biggest events on the calendar next year, the Summer World University Games in Chengdu.

In September, the Chinese Government relaxed its strict quarantine protocols to allow Chengdu to host the World Team Table Tennis Championships.

The tournament was allowed to take place only a few days after a strict lockdown which, for more than a fortnight, saw 21 million residents in southwestern China's Sichuan province forced to stay at home.

The fact the event was allowed to continue when everything else was postponed or cancelled was a sign of how important table tennis is to the Chinese.

Officials at the International University Sports Federation will be hoping similarly that the importance of student sport in China, where billion-yuan television contracts to broadcast some university sport leagues have been signed, will ensure the authorities give their backing for the Games to continue.

The Asian Games in Hangzhou, postponed from this year until 2023, is another mega-event that can look forward to taking place.

The event is of great significance to China, who have finished top of the medals table at 10 consecutive Games.

But, with more than 11,000 athletes from 45 countries due to compete in 40 sports, it will present the biggest challenge since the zero-COVID policy was introduced.

The closed-loop system employed so successfully at this year’s Winter Olympics, and Paralympics will probably be adopted in some form for both events.

The creation of the Beijing Marathon, the first major annual international sports event when it was launched in 1981, was part of a wider movement to open up China and its culture to foreign innovations.

It was a change led by Deng Xiaoping, the country’s paramount leader of the time, who sought to move China away from its Maoist past.

Will this year’s Beijing Marathon, mark the beginning of China’s shift from its zero-COVID policy? 

The world will be watching.