Ethiopians dominate second edition of Hainan Marathon in Sanya

Thousands of runners braved chilly morning winds on Sunday at the Hainan Marathon in Sanya, with Ethiopians dominating in both divisions, except China’s Su Xueting, who finished third in the women’s race.

Belachew Abayneh won the men’s race in 2: 14: 53, a time higher than his performance in the inaugural Sanya marathon in 2016.

“The course is great and I enjoy running in Hainan,” Abayneh told the Global Times.

“Last year’s [ air] pressure was lower, so I was faster in 2016,” the Ethiopian said. He finished second with a time of 2: 12: 02 in 2016.

Some runners said the humidity in the coastal city impaired their performance, but the winner dismissed the talk.

“The weather conditions were constantly changing, but it’s the same for everyone,” he said.

The event attracted 19,567 runners this year, though only about 5,000 ran the full 42.195 kilometers.

It included a visit to Sanya’s most popular tourist resort, Tianya Haijiao, at the end of the half- marathon, with the second half featuring an 18- kilometer- long coastal road stretch along the Sanya Bay.

“The coconut trees along the coastal road were very impressive. It’s really a special experience running here,” said a runner surnamed Chen, after completing the race.

“I expected it would be a sunny day in Sanya, but a cloudy day and cool temperatures gave me a personal best [ time],” said Chen, who comes from Central China’s Hunan Province.

The marathon in Sanya, a city known for its rich tourist resources, featured as many as 70 percent of the total number of runners from the South China island province, said Sanya Deputy Mayor Xu Zhenling.

She added the organizers are likely to increase the scale of the marathon next year, with this year’s event registering close to 20,000 runners.

“We hope to let more people get to know about the city through the marathon,” said Xu.