xi ma: li zi cheng 215 defends domestic champion title, jia e ren jia wins half marathon!

At 7:30 AM Beijing time on March 24, 2019, the Wuxi Marathon started with a gunshot on Taihu Avenue.After an intense competition, Negawo Asnake Dubre from Ethiopia won the men's championship with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 20 seconds, breaking the event record.

In terms of domestic athletes,@Li Zichengwon the domestic men's championship with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 4 seconds, defending his title.Liu Hongliang won the domestic men's runner-up with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 23 seconds.Li Chunhui won the domestic men's third place with a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 7 seconds.

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Wuxi Marathon optimizes the course, elite athletes put on a spectacular showdown

The 2019 Wuxi Marathon is in its sixth year. This year's route has been better designed and optimized. In addition to retaining the distinctive features of the Wuxi Marathon, the course has completely eliminated the turnaround.The overall course gives a feeling of 'narrow in the front and wide in the back.' The starting point is still at the intersection of Taihu Avenue and Yinxi Road, and the optimization of the second half of the course is more conducive to the athletes' performance.

In addition to optimizing the course, the organizing committee also invited many top domestic athletes.The elite list announced before the race shows that the organizing committee invited 16 male athletes with personal bests (PB) within 2 hours and 30 minutes, and 7 athletes with PBs within 2 hours and 20 minutes. They are: Li Zicheng, Li Chunhui, Guan Yousheng, Li Wei, Liu Hongliang, Qiu Wangdong, and Li Yongyuan.

Among them, Li Zicheng, Guan Yousheng, and Li Chunhui became the biggest highlights of the competition.

In 2018, Li Zicheng successfully won the first China Marathon Grand Slam men's championship, running under 2 hours and 16 minutes in multiple races. At the beginning of 2019, he defeated Dong Guojian and Yang Dinghong to win the domestic men's championship at the Xiamen Marathon. This time, he came to defend his domestic championship title at the Wuxi Marathon, riding high on momentum.

On the other hand, his old rival Guan Yousheng, although he improved his personal best to 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 8 seconds at the 2018 Wuhan Marathon, his condition is worrisome due to injuries.

Li Chunhui, who also has a personal best of 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 8 seconds, is competing in Wuxi again this year. He won third place domestically at the 2017 Wuxi Marathon.

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Race recap: Li Zicheng defends domestic championship, Jia Orenga wins half-marathon championship

At the start of the race, the first group of men included many domestic elite athletes, with Li Zicheng and Guan Yousheng among them. Half-marathon runner Jia Orenga was in the lead, consistently leading the first group of men.

15km—Only two domestic athletes, Jia Orenga and Li Zicheng, remained in the first group of men. The fast pace of the African athletes made it difficult for Li Zicheng to keep up, and he began to slow down but still tried to stay close to the first group.

18km—Li Zicheng fell out of the first group, and Jia Orenga continued to lead, winning the men's half-marathon championship. The first group of men was entirely dominated by African athletes, maintaining a pace of 3 minutes and 4 seconds per kilometer, aiming to finish under 2 hours and 10 minutes.

35km—Nine African athletes were still together in the first group of men. The top three personal bests among them were held by three 35-year-old veterans: Slyvester Kimeli Teimet from Kenya, Siraj Gena Amda from Ethiopia, and Irabaruta Olivier from Burundi. The final stage was expected to feature a thrilling sprint finish.

In the end, Negawo Asnake Dubre from Ethiopia won the men's championship with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 20 seconds, breaking the event record.The runner-up, Balew Yihunie Derseh, finished with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 22 seconds; the third place, Berhanu Heye Oda, finished with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 25 seconds. All three broke the event record.

In terms of domestic athletes, Li Zicheng successfully defended his domestic men's championship, with Liu Hongliang and Li Chunhui taking second and third place, respectively.

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Li Zicheng, who left the professional team in 2013, has now become the most dazzling 'amateur' marathon runner in China.

Since retiring, Li Zicheng has participated in more than 40 marathons each year, winning up to 42 championships in a single year, and continuously breaking his personal best. He is already well-known in the national running community.

In 2018, he first successfully won the inaugural China Marathon Grand Slam men's championship, winning four out of five Grand Slam events and making history.

At the beginning of 2019, he defeated Dong Guojian and Yang Dinghong to win the domestic men's championship at the Xiamen Marathon. After winter training, Li Zicheng focused all his energy on this year's Wuxi Marathon, ultimately defending his domestic men's championship title once again.