Wei Yanan (China) winning the 2002 Beijing Marathon (© Chinese People's Daily)
Wei Yanan led home an impressive Chinese 1-2-3 in the women's section of today’s Beijing marathon, winning in a new national record of 2:20:23.
NOTE - *1 Wei Yanan CHN 6.12.81 2:20:23 NR PB (subsequently disqualified for doping) was the original winner but her result was nullifed following a positive doping test
In fact, the Chinese actually took the first six places with Jong Yong (PRK) the first non-Chinese to cross the finish, in sixth with 2:26:12 (national record). The first eleven runners all went inside 2:30, all with PB's or debuts.
Wei, who was also victorious this year in the Seoul Marathon on 17 March (2:25:06), crossed the finish ahead of Sun Yingjie, who was second with 2:21:21, with Zhang Shujing third on 2:23:17 – all personal bests.
It’s been quite a fortnight for second placed Yingjie who won the 5,000 and 10,000m double at the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, in lighting quick personal bests of 14:40.41 and 30:28.26, respectively. Yingjie’s previous personal best for the marathon - 2:25:45 - had stood since she won the national title in 1998. She also took second place behind Wei in the 2000 edition of today’s Beijing race (2:26:36), and finished fourth in Boston this spring with 2:27:26.
Zhang Shujing’s time in finishing third was a dramatic improvement on when she won the Hong Kong event on 24 February this year in a comparatively slow 2:36:27. However, her previous personal best was 2:24:42, which stood from when she was fifth in last year’s Beijing race, and she also took a third place in the 2000 Berlin Marathon – 2:27:14.
Today’s Beijing winner Wei Yanan, by comparison to the women she beat, is largely an unknown international quantity, having finished in a lowly 29th position (72:23) at the World Half Marathon in Brussels this year. She has now won the Beijing Marathon twice in three years, having taken the title in 2000 in 2:26:34, and finishing second last year in what, until today was her personal best of 2:24:02.
Yanan’s other personal bests are - 15:15.75 (5000m, 2001), 31:54.86 (10,000m 2001), 72:04 (Half Marathon 2000).
In Beijing, in the men’s Marathon, China's Li Zhuhong (18 yrs)came home first in 2:13:08, beating Kenyans Onesmos Kilonzo and Elias Chebet.
IAAF (text) and Tilastopaja Oy (stats)
Results - Official Times confirmed.
NB. Out of 45 best athletes in women's race, 28 were from the Liaoning Province team coached by Ma Junren, including debut times of 2:24:39 for Hu Yuanyuan and 2:25:15 for Sun Weiwei. However, the first three women's finishers are not from Liaoning or coached by the legendary Chinese coach.
Men
1 Li Zhuhong CHN 22.10.83 2:13:09 SB
2 Onesmus Kilonzo KEN 2:13:13 PB
3 Elias Chebet KEN .74 2:13:20
4 Zheng Yunshan CHN 20.6.79 2:13:27 PB
5 Zhu Ronghua CHN 9.5.74 2:13:29 PB
6 Kil Jae Son PRK 5.5.75 2:13:41 SB
7 Nelson Ndereva KEN 14.7.67 2:13:55 SB
8 Bai Zengquan CHN 29.10.80 2:14:10 PB
9 Luke Kibet KEN 19.6.73 2:14:44
10 Fikadu Degafu ETH .74 2:14:58 PB
11 Frank Pooe RSA 2.12.74 2:15:23 SB
12 Andrés Espinosa MEX 4.2.63 2:15:38 SB
13 André Luiz Ramos BRA 20.1.70 2:16:17
14 Zhang Jingbo CHN 18.1.83 2:16:19 PB
15 Chai Jiahua CHN 6.9.75 2:16:49 SB
Women
1 Sun Yingjie CHN 19.1.79 2:21:21 PB(*)
2 Zhang Shujing CHN 13.9.78 2:23:17 PB
3 Zhu Xiaolin CHN 20.4.84 2:23:57 PB
4 Hu Yuanyuan CHN 2:24:39 PB (debut)
5 Sun Weiwei CHN 2:25:15 PB (debut)
6 Jong Yong Ok PRK 24.1.81 2:26:12 NR PB
7 Li Helan CHN 2.1.78 2:26:59 PB
8 Jo Bun Hui PRK .80 2:27:36 PB
9 Lu Cui CHN 2:27:37 PB (debut)
10 Shen Meiyu CHN 2:29:41 PB
11 Jang Son Ok PRK 2:30:49
12 Xi Yuanrong CHN 2:31:48 PB
13 Wang Linan CHN 26.11.85 2:31:51 PB
14 Wei Xin CHN 2:33:08 PB
15 Jiang Yuanyuan CHN 2:33:18 PB
*1 Wei Yanan CHN 6.12.81 2:20:23 NR PB (subsequently disqualified for doping) was the original winner but her result was nullifed following a positive doping test
Notable others -
30 Song Liqing CHN 20.1.80 2:44:30 PB (pb's of 14:45.71 at 5k and 31:11.26 at 10k both from 1997 National Games)
36 Liu Min CHN 29.11.83 2:48:22 (last year's winner with WJR
2:23:37, also Chinese National Champion 2002, did not finish marathon at Asian Games last week)
