Multiple marathon events attract thousands across China

Multiple marathon events were held across China over the weekend, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants to Tianjin and Liaoning and Shanxi provinces.

In Tianjin's Jinghai district, 10,000 runners joined the Tuanbo Lake Half Marathon on Sunday. The flat course passed the Tianjin International Tennis Center and the Tuanbo Lake Wetland Reserve.

Han Boxiu won the men's title with a time of 1:09:10, while Zhu Juan took the women's race at 1:21:12. "The course was flat and comfortable, with beautiful scenery along the way," Han said.

The event, certified as an A1-class by the Chinese Athletics Association, is among the highest tiers of road races in the country.

In Shanxi, more than 40,000 runners from 33 countries and regions took part in the Taiyuan International Marathon. Kenya's Douglass Kimeli Kiprugut won the men's race with a time of 2:09:14.

He said: "The spectators were enthusiastic, and the event organization was impeccable. I highly recommend the Taiyuan Marathon to everyone."

Zang Yifan and Ding Yi in Tianjin contributed to this story.