Chinese runners sweep podium at Zhangjiajie Marathon

CHANGSHA, China, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese runners dominated the 2023 Zhangjiajie Marathon with a clean sweep of the podium on Sunday.

The race featured three categories of full marathon (42.195km), half marathon and a 5km fun run.

In the men's full marathon, Shu Changhua clinched the title with a time of 2:22:50, followed by his compatriots Liu Jun and Zeng Wenbo. In the women's full marathon, Xu Haifei emerged victorious, clocking in at 2:54:36, with He Ming and Li Saijun taking second and third places, respectively.

The half marathon events were equally competitive. Sun Zongyang emerged victorious in the men's race, finishing in 1:07:09, while Xiong Sisi won the women's title with a time of 1:21:22.

The courses of both half marathon, finishing at the Zhangjiajie Culture and Tourism Creative Industry Park, and full marathon, ending at the iconic gate of Wulingyuan, offered runners the unique opportunity to enjoy the city's natural beauty.

"The Zhangjiajie Marathon is one of the races I look forward to the most this season. It has the most beautiful scenery and the most interesting course. I enjoy the roads here, the mountains, and the water," said Hubisz Marcin of Poland.

Located in central China's Hunan province, Zhangjiajie is renowned for its picturesque landscape, featuring fantastic mountains, towering trees, deep valleys, caves, and forests.