Lily (www.8264.com): As major outdoor sporting events, marathons have become important annual occurrences, mobilizing authorities, businesses and the masses alike.

Take the 2010 New York Marathon for example. About 1 million people participated in the race, with 62,370 gallons of water and 32,040 of sports drinks provided, alongside 2.3 million paper cups.

These figures show that many wise businesses are discovering the financial opportunities invested in marathon events, which provide massive platforms for brand promotion.

Nowadays, many companies even encourage their employees to participate in local races to promote their corporate images.

Meng Qi (China Sports Daily): Following three decades of development, the Beijing International Marathon is seeing increased participation every year. Since 2011, its organizing committee has expanded the quota from 8,000 to 15,000. Gradually, the race has grown into a top international sporting event.

Its rising reputation has made the Beijing Marathon increasingly attractive to various businesses, including Beijing Hyundai Motor Co., which signed an official cooperation treaty with the organizing committee in 2011. Over the past three years, the company has actively involved itself in a series of public welfare activities and online initiatives, considerably boosting "the second take-off" of its brand image.

Guo Hua (The Beijing News): Due to traffic controls implemented for the sake of the annual Beijing International Marathon, congestion in certain places caused serious problems.

As one of the world's 10 most famous races, the Beijing International Marathon is now regarded as part of the city's culture. However, with most routes spanning downtown areas, the public is increasingly disturbed, particularly due to traffic issues, raising questions as to whether the event could be moved elsewhere.

When the marathon first came to Beijing in 1981, traffic was not as big a headache as it is today. With the downtown region already well known for hosting international events, why not move the marathon to the suburbs? This could promote development and cause less trouble. More importantly, participants could perhaps breathe cleaner air and appreciate the beautiful scenery.

Indeed, London, New York and Paris all host such races right in their centers. However, we must recognize that these cities enjoy much better traffic conditions compared to Beijing, which should be wary of blindly copying others in organizing sporting events.

Kicking off the race in the Tiananmen Square is rather questionable as, due to the lack of makeshift toilets, participants often resort to urinating in public. It is evident that more supportive services and facilities are needed along the route.