The Hangzhou Marathon wins Gold Label Road Race status from the International Association of Athletics Federations, or IAAF, on July 12. [Photo/thehour.cn]

The International Association of Athletics Federations, or IAAF, awarded Gold Label status to the Hangzhou Marathon -- recognizing the annual event in the capital of Zhejiang province as one of the world's leading road races, its organizers announced on July 12.

The Hangzhou Marathon now becomes the 12th member in China to join the world's most prestigious marathon league.

Initiated in 1987, Hangzhou Marathon is the second oldest marathon events in China. It has been awarded the Gold Label Road Race by the Chinese Athletic Association for five consecutive years since 2014.

According to the latest IAAF rankings, the 2018 Hangzhou marathon took third spot on the list of top marathons in China, featuring the use of modern technology such as facial recognition and heart rate monitoring services.

The 2019 Hangzhou Marathon is set to be held on Nov 3 with the same set of events as seen in recent years, including full and half marathons, a mini marathon, a couples run and a kids/family run.

The 2018 Hangzhou Marathon kickstarts last November. It attracted 35,000 runners from 48 countries and regions across the world. [Photo/IC]