Registrations for the 2016 Wuxi International Marathon began on Dec 16. After just four hours the number of candidates topped 30,000, reported the Jiangnan Evening News.

Runners can sign up for the event until 23:59 on Dec 31 on wuximarathon.com. A total of 30,000 people will be eligible for the marathon, including 15,000 for the full marathon, 10,000 for the half, and 5,000 for the mini-runs.

To promote the event's brand and popularize Wuxi, IEC in Sports, a branch of the multinational media conglomerate the Lagardère Group, will broadcast the event live. Viewers in more than 100 countries and regions will have access to the spectacular event.

The Lagardère Group is experienced at covering top-level sports events, such as the Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup, the French Open, the Australian Open tennis tournament, and Formula One races.

During the Tour of Taihu Lake 2015, the broadcast team not only caught highlights of the cycling, but also displayed the beautiful scenery and cultural resources along Taihu Lake, contributing to the promotion of Wuxi and other cities along the lake.