On the eve of the annual Taipei Marathon, the Taipei City Government yesterday held the first ever Taipei Marathon Breakfast Run, with 5,000 participants of all ages running a fun non-competitive 3km race.
The annual Taipei Marathon is one of Taiwan’s most anticipated major races and an international marathon recognized by World Athletics, one of the largest international governing bodies for track and field, and other competitions such as road running, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said.
Chiang, who brought his two-year-old son to take part with him in the Breakfast Run, said the 3km route is not too long, not a strain to complete and suitable for people of all ages, with the youngest participant being only seven months old and the oldest being 87.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei City Government
“There are about 5,000 runners today, with many being participants in the official race tomorrow who brought their family and friends to join today,” Chiang said yesterday. “We hope everyone can enjoy the happiness of exercising through this opportunity, perhaps discover a new side of Taipei, and also use it as a warm-up for the official race.”
There are 28,000 participants registered for today’s Taipei Marathon, and all are required to be 18 or older.
This year, runners from 62 countries are taking part in the event, the most ever, Chiang said, adding that he hopes the marathon, which has been going for more than three decades, would be sustainable, and display the spirit of inclusion and hope.
The marathon medal and strap this year are made of recycled marine debris and plastic bottles, to promote the spirit of sustainability, he said.
Some of the Breakfast Run’s participants dressed up as the gingerbread man, Santa Claus and dinosaurs.
The Taipei Department of Sport said 652 children aged 12 or younger participated in the race.
Department Commissioner Wang Hung-shiang (王泓翔) invited wheelchair racers to join the Breakfast Run and the official half-marathon race.
The first Breakfast Run was held to encourage people of all ages to experience road running and develop the habit of exercising regularly, Wang said.
As the event title suggested, the participants of yesterday’s Breakfast Run were given a breakfast box with bread, a rice ball, milk tea, sweet potato crisps, cranberry juice, an energy bar, an energy drink and an apple after completing the run.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
RSS