SHANGHAI - The 2022 Shanghai Marathon came back here on Sunday morning after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around 18,000 runners participated in the event. This year's route starts from the Bund and ends at the Longqi Road/Yunjin Road, covering renowned scenic spots in Shanghai such as People's Square, Site of the First CPC National Congress and Jing'an Temple.

The men's race was a closely-contested one where Yang Shaohui, the 30-year-old national team member, won the title in two hours 16 minutes and four seconds, followed by Guan Yousheng and Jia E'renjia who lagged behind two and three seconds respectively.

As the champion of Shanghai Marathon, a Platinum Label Road Race recognized by the World Athletics, Yang qualified for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

"I hope I can leave no regrets in the World Athletics Championships and the Asian Games next year. I will strive for the good results," he said.

While on the women's side, 26-year-old Zhang Deshun took a significant lead by crossing the finishing line with a result of 2:28:17. Zhang Xinyan came second in 2:33:03 and Wang Min took the bronze in 2:33:18.

"Every marathon event provides a great learning opportunity for me. Only when I compete on the track can I find my shortcomings, so I can make adjustments and improve," said Zhang.

Apart from professional elites, marathon lovers also enjoyed the race. "Great changes have taken place in the city as more and more tracks can be found. Running along the Huangpu River is always a pleasant journey for me," said Teck Hua, a Singaporean merchant who have lived in China for 20 years.