In a remarkable display of endurance and determination, He Jie, 25, broke China’s national men’s marathon record at the 2024 Wuxi Marathon on Sunday. Clocking in at 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 57 seconds, He finished fourth in a fiercely competitive men’s race.
“I’m more than satisfied with myself today; it’s the result of our hard work from the training camp in Kenya,” He reflected after the race. “The international athletes raced at a very high level today, and I almost collapsed in the final kilometers. But the result showed that the better my opponents are, the stronger I am.”
The men’s race was won by Ethiopia’s Tadu Abate Dedm, who set a new event record, finishing 39 seconds ahead of He. Abay Alemu Lesa of Ethiopia and Nicholas Kirwa of Kenya secured second and third places, respectively.
He Jie’s achievement marks a significant improvement on his own record set at last year’s Wuxi Marathon, where he shaved 46 seconds off the previous national record. His record was briefly surpassed by Yang Shaohui at the Fukuoka International Marathon last December, but He’s latest performance reclaims the top spot for China.
“My goal was to break into 2 hours and 6 minutes for China,” He said modestly. “The new record doesn’t belong to myself alone; it’s the result of collective efforts from marathon runners of my generation.”
The Wuxi Marathon, held in east China’s Jiangsu Province, has become a significant event on the international marathon calendar, attracting top runners from around the world. This year’s race highlighted the rising standard of Chinese long-distance running on the global stage.
With He’s groundbreaking performance, the future of marathon running in China looks promising, inspiring a new generation of athletes to push their limits.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
