The 2014 Xiamen International Marathon will be held on Jan 2, with more than 77,000 runners from 45 countries and regions registered for this year's event.

More than 20 world-class competitors from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Morocco, traditional long-distance powerhouses, will participate.

This year's marathon route includes Zhongshan Road, the main thoroughfare through Xiamen's famous historical district.

The runners will be greeted with artists performing music on both sides of the road, the organizing committee said.

The annual competition was first held in 2003 and sanctioned in 2007 as a Gold Label Road Race by the International Association of Athletics Federations.