In an electrifying display of endurance and speed, 25-year-old He Jie has smashed the Chinese men's marathon record at the 2024 Wuxi Marathon! 🏅
On a thrilling Sunday in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, He clocked an astonishing 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 57 seconds, finishing fourth overall and setting a new national benchmark. This feat places him among the world's elite marathon runners, and he's only getting started!
The race was dominated by international talent, with Ethiopia's Tadu Abate Dedm taking first place and setting a new event record. Kenya's Abay Alemu Lesa and Nicholas Kirwa clinched the second and third spots respectively. The competition was fierce, but He Jie rose to the occasion, proving that homegrown talent is blazing a trail on the global stage. 🌍🔥
\"I'm more than satisfied with myself today,\" He shared, smiling despite the grueling run. \"It's the result of our hard work from the training camp in Kenya. 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.\" 💪
He is no stranger to breaking records. At last year's Wuxi Marathon, he improved the Chinese record by 46 seconds. The record was then lowered by another 21 seconds by Yang Shaohui at the Fukuoka International Marathon last December. Now, He's back on top, pushing the limits once again.
\"My goal was to break into two hours and six minutes for China,\" he said modestly. \"The new record doesn't belong to myself but is a result of collective efforts from marathon runners of my generation.\" 🏃♂️❤️🇨🇳
His inspiring words and incredible performance are lighting a fire in the hearts of young athletes everywhere. Who knows? Maybe the next big marathon star is reading this right now! 🌟
Stay tuned for more updates on Asia's rising sports stars and their journeys to greatness. Keep running, keep dreaming! ✨
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
