The fifth annual Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon was run on 25 April 2010. Victory in the women’s event went to New Zealand’s Nina Rillstone in a time of 1hr 11m 8s. Running in her first international event since competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon, Rillstone was first home by more than a minute. Second place went to Jin Lengling of China followed by Jacquiline Nyetipi of Kenya.


 

Yangzhou Half Marathon is Now a Big Event

Over 20,000 competitors stood on the starting line next to Yangzhou’s famous central city pavilion Wen Chang Ge. With over 270 foreign entries from 37 countries, the Yangzhou half marathon has gained in stature since it was first run in 2006. “It is becoming a great drawcard for athletes from China and abroad”, Weizhong Ji of the Chinese Athletic Association told Suite101. “We are aiming to make this one of the top five half marathons in the world”.

Rillstone was naturally thrilled about the way her race unfolded. “I was in behind the leaders until the 5k mark, and after staying with them for a while I was able to get out in front at about 10k”, she told Suite101. “From then I was on my own with some Chinese male competitors. After my layoff, I wasn’t sure how it would go but I felt really good”.

Racing Through Historic Yangzhou

Yangzhou has a rich history, and the race is named for the 7th century Buddhist monk Jianzhen, whose story of hardship, sacrifice and success is used as an example for local athletes to aspire to. Jianzhen was a Yangzhou resident when he went to Japan for 11 years to spread Chinese culture and Buddhism.

The Yangzhou half marathon course takes the runners past some of the city’s famous ancient landmarks, finishing in the up-market Jing Hua Cheng district. Being in the Yangze River delta region, Yangzhou is a completely flat city, and the course is a circuit of long straights on wide, exposed roads. “The headwind on some of those straights was my only real concern”, said Rillstone.