This weekend the 2026 Wuxi Marathon fires the starting gun. Although it is not the National Marathon Championships this year, it still attracted a large field of elite runners.

On the men's side, Feng Peiyou — who just reset the national record — is racing. His PB ranks third among the elite entrants; can he reach the podium?

Other Chinese runners under 2:10 include Yang Shaohui, Wu Xiangdong, Chen Tianyu, Jia Erenjia, Sang Jidongzhi, Gao Peng and Peng Jianhua. Peng Jianhua hasn't been in the public eye for a long time — what can he produce in this comeback?

On this elite list, Mao Jinhu, making his debut in the full marathon, could be a surprise.

On the women's side, two foreign elites with PBs under 2:20 lead the field: Tigist GIRMA and Mare DIBABA, both from Ethiopia.

Zhang Deshun's PB ranks fourth among the elites, but she showed poor form last week in Renshou — can she bounce back this weekend?

Beyond Zhang Deshun, four athletes — Ding Changqin, Li Meizhen, Liu Min and Zhou Xia — have PBs under 2:30 and are contenders for the domestic women's title.

So who do you fancy to win the Wuxi Marathon this weekend? Final start list — see you Sunday morning.

#Wuxi Marathon #marathon #Feng Peiyou #Zhang Deshun #Wu Xiangdong #Li Meizhen #TrailRunningBigBang