On May 4, the 2026 Shanghai City Amateur League — the “Family Marathon” Happy Home Series Shanghai Station, in collaboration with the International Day of Families on May 15, kicked off at the Shanghai International Cruise Homeport Resort. With the core theme “Run Together, Love Accompanies,” this year’s event marked the 11th anniversary of the Family Marathon. By seamlessly blending tourism, culture, sports, commerce, and exhibition scenarios, the race attracted 1,000 families who used running to convey the warmth of family, turning a simple physical activity into a celebration of kinship.
Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Lu Taohong, noted in his speech that this is the 11th year of the Family Marathon. The event has consistently upheld the concept of “Run Together, Love Accompanies,” using sports as a bond to accompany and witness the growth and joy of countless families. “Today, participants are not chasing rankings or speed—they express their fighting spirit through running and warm their families through companionship,” he said. He highlighted that health is the foundation of family happiness, and companionship is a crucial part of children’s growth. The hope is that platforms like the Family Marathon will help promote scientific exercise in more homes, making the concept of “everyone being the first person responsible for their own health” a common belief, thereby actively contributing to a fertility-friendly society and boosting high-quality population development.
Since its inception in 2015, the Family Marathon has traveled an 11-year journey of warmth. From early gatherings to regular annual reunions, the event has used sports as a thread, linking the smiles and growth of tens of thousands of families. Over the years, some families have grown from two to three, and children who once wobbled along the track now confidently cross the finish line. Every step taken on the course serves as a testament to family presence, and each finish line marks a shared memory of growth.
This year, the race returned to the Shanghai International Cruise Homeport Resort for the third time. Set against the backdrop of the century-old Wusongkou waterfront, the event continued the promise of “running through the years with companionship,” making sports an eternal bond for family emotions.
May 15 marks the 33rd International Day of Families. This competition embodied the values of “building a fertility-friendly society and promoting high-quality population development,” advocating for a concept of a healthy family unit. Participating families experienced the warmth of kinship through running, strengthened parent-child relationships through interactions, and vividly demonstrated that “accompanying is the longest confession of love.” By empowering family development through sports, the event contributed positively to creating a social atmosphere that supports fertility, cares for children, and values families.
At 8:30 AM, the starting whistle blew. Led by synchronized swimming world champion Huang Xuechen, 1,000 families dressed in matching race shirts set off along the riverside course. On the 4.2-kilometer track of warmth, family members of all ages set aside speed and rankings, focusing solely on companionship and joy—perfectly interpreting the “Run Together, Love Accompanies” spirit, allowing family love to flow naturally through the run.
Along the route, fun hydration stations and heartwarming cheering signs were set up, while the finish line featured areas for custom commemorative medals and family photos. Every detail conveyed the event’s warmth, letting each family feel touched by the run and treasure the memories made together.
The event collaborated with local tourism resources, business offerings, and exhibition activities, offering a series of benefits for participating families: cruise travel vouchers, exclusive discounts at resort hotels and restaurants, and shopping deals at 27 specialty stores—transforming sports traffic into a driver for cultural tourism consumption.
Additionally, the venue featured interactive parent-child exhibitions, a family culture market, and a sports carnival. Fun check-ins and parent-child games were held in turns, achieving a deep integration of “sports + culture + tourism + commerce + exhibitions,” injecting warm vitality into the economy and society.
Looking ahead, the event will continue to leverage its platform role, deepening the “cultural tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibition” integration model. With richer scenarios and more considerate services, the Family Marathon aims to build a platform for family emotional exchanges, allowing more families to feel the warmth of kinship and enjoy the joy of exercise through running, thereby contributing lasting power to Shanghai’s national fitness and public health development.
