The participants take off from the starting line at 8:00 am. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Braving the thick clouds and early morning autumn mists, the 2018 Beverly Round Lihu Lake International Half Marathon staged a successful tournament with passion and diversity in Wuxi on Nov 4. Over 10,000 people took part in the race, including 200 foreign runners from 35 countries and regions.
After a fiercely competitive race, Kenyan runner Hosea Kiplagat took the title of men's champion with a time of 01:09:27s. Only one second slower, Japheth Kipruto claimed the second place, and the third prize went to Japanese runner Shuji Tsukamoto.
Kiplagat lives in Shanghai and it was the first time for him to run in Wuxi. He said today's race was a very enjoyable one, people were nice in the city and he was happy to be here. His personal best of 01:03:38s was set in Italy and he hopes to come to Wuxi again next year.
Hosea Kiplagat, Japheth Kipruto, and Shuji Tsukamoto ranked top in the men's half marathon. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Leah Jepchumba, also from Kenya, won the women's race with a time of 01:19:40s, 182 seconds faster than last year's best time. She was followed by two Chinese women, Zhang Ni and Qu Yunying.
Leah Jepchumba from Kenya wins the women's half marathon with a time of 01:19:40s. [Photo by Lyu Yihan/chinadaily.com.cn]
Runners make their way around the ever-popular Lihu lake in the beautiful season of Autumn.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The race was hosted by the Chinese Athletic Association and the local government of Binhu district, and has been honoured as "the most beautiful marathon track" since it was first held in 2016.
Starting at Wuxi New Sports Stadium, runners were offered a look at the extraordinary scenery of the city during the 21.1 km course, passing through well-known sites such as the Turtle Head Isle Scenic Spot, Lihu Park and Changguangxi Wetland Park, before reaching the finishing line at Jiangnan University.
A volunteer cheers the runners on along the course at Jiangnan University [Photo by Husnain Raza/chinadaily.com.cn]
Rick O'Neill from China Daily, who took part in the half-marathon event, considered it as a very well organized race, he said "there are lots of water stops, and lots of people cheering you on too, which gave me a boost when I needed it!" He also stressed that the scenery was so pretty that it is hard to think of many races which could better it. The Turtle Head Isle Scenic Spot in particular, left a deep impression on him.
A running team from Media Convergence was added this year, displaying the diversity of this tournament. Representatives of the media who used to describe the area by microphones and cameras were invited to experience the stunning landscape on the ground, getting a good feel for the new achievements regarding the economic and social development of Binhu district.
The running team of Media Convergence. [Photo by Lyu Yihan/chinadaily.com.cn]
(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)
