Windhoek: China’s Wang Hongwei emerged victorious at the Xi’an Marathon in the capital city of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, recording a time of two hours, 13 minutes, and 25 seconds.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the marathon, which was first introduced in 2017, is a World Athletics gold label road race. This year, it drew approximately 38,000 participants who competed in marathon, half-marathon, and seven-kilometer events. The marathon event witnessed participation from nearly 22,000 runners, while the half-marathon saw 12,000 competitors.

Wu Mingyao secured second place in the men’s marathon, finishing just four seconds behind Wang Hongwei. China’s Wang Jiahao completed the men’s podium, securing third place with a time of 2:13:30.

In the women’s marathon event, Huang Fei claimed the top spot with a finishing time of 2:31:02. Zhu Qing and Li Chunxia followed in second and third places, respectively.

Wang Hongwei expressed his admiration for Xi’an, noting its unique urban appearance compared to other cities in China. He mentioned the possibility of returning for a vacation. Huang Fei shared her impressions of the local cuisine, highlighting the Chinese Hamburger Roujiamo and BiangBiang noodles as particularly memorable.