Few sports have a history deeper than that of Marathon racing. But despite its long legacy in the West, it's an event that's still fresh to many cities in China. The city of Chengdu in southwestern China's Sichuan province though, has managed to establish itself as a leader in the marathon circuit, and hopes are high that its latest contest can catapult it onto the global stage.

Chengdu runs towards the world and the world runs into Chengdu. That's the theme of this year's marathon event in southwestern China's second-biggest metropolis. It's a sporting occasion that's attracting no shortage of big names to the provincial capital and some, like Kenyan Olympic runner and multi-time World Marathon Majors gold medal winner, Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich, are hopeful the race will encourage more people to take up the sport.

Last year, Wanda Group officially inked a deal with Abbott World Marathon Majors to coming together in organizing the world's largest marathon series in China. The Chengdu international marathon is among the races vying for a shot at that title. And after gaining the combined support of the local government and Wanda Group itself, it's already well on its way.

Sponsorships are also helping bolster its bid. Competitive brands like Dongfeng Motor Co. - a Sino-Japanese joint venture automaker - have thrown their weight behind the Chengdu contest.

ZHANG MAOHUA, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER OF MARKETING DONGFENG NISSAN PASSENGER VEHICLE COMPANY "Sponsoring the Chengdu marathon is in line with our overall brand strategy, since the marathon runners are exactly the same group as our target customers. We want to deliver a healthy and passionate lifestyle to them and better communicate with them."

The country's General Administration of Sport says that over 10 million people will take part in nearly 2,000 such events before the end of the decade. Apparel makers are taking notice of the trend. Back in Chengdu, event organizers have managed to add Hong Kong-listed sportswear company Xtep to their sponsors' list.

WANG QIANG, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT XTEP INTERNATIONAL HOLDING LIMITED "We sponsor over 40 city marathon races every year - Xtep has already come up with a complete strategy for the running ecosystem. We're combining races, devices, services and social networks altogether."

Altogether, 2,800 runners from 54 countries and regions around the world took part in this year's Chengdu race. And as the country's next generation of runners huff and puff their way towards ever more ambitious horizons, the city of Chengdu is confident that it will continue to be a part of marathon history here in China.