Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

The 2009 Fubon Taipei Marathon kicked off in front of city hall at 7 AM on December 20. Mayor Hau Lung-bin hoped that the foreign participants will have a chance to experience the friendliness and vitality of the city during their stay.
The spirit of runners remained high despite the10-degree weather on Sunday morning. According to the mayor, the number of participants has seen steady growth since the first Taipei Marathon in 1986. This year, the Fubon Taipei Marathon attracted nearly 110,000 runners, making the event one of the top ten marathons in the world.
Mayor Hau, National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Minister Dai Hsia-ling, and Fubon Financial President Victor Kung appeared on stage to sound the starter’s pistol. The mayor himself took part in the marathon and ran five kilometers.
According to the organizer, 1,113 international athletes from 48 countries signed up for the marathon. The 350 runners from Japan accounted for the largest group of foreign participants at this year’s competition.
These athletes joined 24,859 local professional runners to compete in the standard marathon category.