5 January 2008 – Competing in just her third Marathon, 18-year-old Zhang Yingying ran a World junior best over the distance, clocking 2:22:38* at the 6th Xiamen International Marathon on Saturday (5).
Zhang had already proven her capabilities over this distance in Beijing last October finishing second there with an impressive 2:27:20 personal best. Just days after that performance the super junior went on to finish third in the City Games 5000m in Wuhan with a 15:06.08 personal best and then won the 10,000m in 31:17.30 PB.
The Xiamen International Marathon is the first IAAF Gold Label Road Race of 2008.
In Xiamen Zhang stormed to the world class in the marathon as well, cutting almost five minutes from her 2007 PB, while bettering the previous fastest by a junior, Min Liu’s 2:23:37 set at the 2001 Beijing Marathon.
The Chinese federation had promised the third Olympic berth to the Xiamen marathon winner if the time was under 2:24, therefore Zhang will be the third competitor in Beijing should she choose to run the Marathon because she has qualified for both 5000m and 10,000m as well.
In theory the timetable would allow room to contest all three distances, although there is only one day between the 10,000m and Marathon races. Two Chinese runners, World Championships silver medallist Zhou Chunxiu and Zhu Xiaolin, who finished fourth in Osaka, had been selected for the Olympic team earlier.
Wei Yanan was the early leader in the race setting the pace until 20km with Bai Xue, Zhang, and Sun Yingjie, who returned to competition from a two year doping ban, also in the leading group. Zhang and Bai finally broke away from Wei after the 32km mark with Zhang easily sprinting to the victory. Zhang also set a course record, previously held by Zhou Chunxiu at 2:23:38 from 2004.
19-year-old Bai Xue (b. 13-Dec-1988, not a junior) finished second with a big personal best of 2:23:27, bettering her old PB of 2:27:46 from 2007 in her fifth career marathon. Wei Yanan was third in 2:25:10 while Sun Yingjie faded to 2:38:21 in her comeback race. Surprisingly she was said she was happy with her result and told the media that she is on course to be in shape to qualify for the Olympic 5000/10,000m later this season.
Kenyan Kiprotich Kenei grabbed the win in a sprint finish in the men’s race in 2:09:49, just a second faster than fellow Kenyan Elias Kemboi who was second in 2:09:50. The Chinese national championship went to Deng Haiyang, who set a personal best 2:10:43 finishing third. Deng will probably be the third Chinese on the Olympic marathon squad in addition to national record holder Ren Longyun (2:08:15 in 2007) and Han Gang (2:08:56 in 2007).
The Road Running Commission of the China Athletics Association also held its inaugural meeting on the occasion of the Marathon.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
- NB: The IAAF does not consider junior performances in the Marathon for record purposes.