The first Jinhua Marathon takes place amid rain on March 31. [Photo/WeChat account: jhfabu]
The first Jinhua Marathon, held on March 31, saw an impressive turnout of approximately 15,000 runners from both domestic and international locales.
The event featured three main categories, consisting of a marathon with 4,000 participants, a half marathon with 6,000 participants, and a fun run with 5,000 participants.
The men's full marathon was won by Mamo Lotory Woldgeiorgis, who completed the race in 2 hr 13 min 33 sec, while the women's full marathon was claimed by Dema Ayelu Lema, finishing in 2:37:19.
In the men's half marathon, Dinku Kassahun Hailu emerged victorious with a time of 1:2:33, and in the women's half marathon, Beyene Betelhem Asmare secured first place, finishing in 1:12:40.
Notably, local athlete Zheng Xiaoqian achieved an impressive fifth position in the half marathon. Zheng has previously excelled in the national track and field championships, triumphing in the 1500-meter and 800-meter events.
Zheng also made history as the first athlete from Zhejiang province to compete in the women's 1500-meter event at both the National Games and the Asian Games.
The marathon course commenced at Jinhua Sports Center and traversed several iconic landmarks, including Huahaitang Park, Asian Games Village, Wanfo Pagoda, and the Chinese Wuju Opera Theater, not only showcasing Jinhua's rich millennium-long history but also highlighting its rapid contemporary development.
