The 5th Zhejiang Marathon Record Challenge kicked off recently at the circular track of the Hangzhou Running Center in Linping District. Over 300 marathon masters from Zhejiang and all over China competed in Linping for new Zhejiang marathon records.

At 8 a.m., with the starting gun fired, runners shot out of the starting line like arrows. There were altogether three categories: Challenge Group, Open Group, and Experience Group, with 101, 56, and 164 participants respectively. After fierce competition, Zhang Ligang won the men’s championship in the Challenge Group in 2:19:15, while Chen Linming claimed the women’s title in the same category, finishing in 2:38:26.

“This is my first time winning this championship and I set a new personal record. I am very satisfied,” Zhang Ligang said, adding that the event provided a stage for runners like him to compete, and also attracted many running enthusiasts to participate. The atmosphere on site was so motivating and pushed him to give his best performance. Chen Linming said, “The track is very smooth overall, and I couldn’t have finished the race without the cheers from the audience. For me, this is a new breakthrough. And we are working together to improve the overall strength and level of marathon running in Zhejiang, which makes it particularly meaningful for me.”

The Zhejiang Marathon Record Challenge was initiated by the Hangzhou Yandu Hantan Sports Club. The past four editions saw two new records in Zhejiang men’s marathon. Notably, Linping District has hosted two editions of Zhejiang Marathon Record Challenge with great success since 2023.