The file photo taken on October 11, 2020 shows the West Taihu Lake Half Marathon and the Grand Canal Sports Series in Changzhou City. (CFP Photo)

The Grand Canal Sports Series 2021 and its official website (http://www.dyhxls.cn/) were launched at Xinhua Daily Media Group on April 8.

The last edition attracted over 20,000 participants in programs held in cities including Changzhou, Xuzhou, Suzhou, Yangzhou and Suqian. This year, the top sports event named after the world's longest man-made waterway will showcase the unique cultural charm of the Grand Canal region, and promote sports tourism and leisure economy.

This edition will include five events - marathon races, football matches, race walking, cycling for amateur riders and triathlon for youngsters.

The number of cities in the sports series will increase to ten, namely Xuzhou, Huai'an, Suqian, Yangzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, Nanjing, Nantong and Taizhou.