The road diagram for the 2019 Geely Auto Ningbo International Marathon to be held on Oct 26. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

The 2019 Ningbo International Marathon is scheduled to kick off in Ningbo, East China’s Zhejiang province on Oct 26, according to a press conference held on Oct 15.

This year's event will be larger and include more services and routes than previous ones. The number of available slots has expanded to 12,000, up 20 percent from last year. In addition to the full, half, and mini marathons, there will be a newly-added family marathon, which will allow up to 300 groups of parents and children to participate.

Since it began in 2015, the event has attracted runners from nearly 50 countries and regions, and has become a trademark of the city, showcasing its history, culture and pleasant environment.

The event will be held in Ningbo's Hangzhou Bay New Zone and broadcast live on CCTV-5, a national sports TV channel, as it was selected to be part of the 2019 Run China program, which is currently the most famous marathon TV series in China, according to the organizing committee.