NANJING, China, November 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2015 Bank of Nanjing Gaochun International Marathon was officially held on 15 November, 2015 at Gaochun Stadium in Gaochun, a district in south Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Ethiopian athletes swept both the men's and the women's top three titles.
Birhanu Bekele Berga won the men's race with a time of 2 hours, 12 minutes and 42 seconds. Belete Mekonen Gezu, the runner-up, clocked in at 2 hours, 14 minutes and 15 seconds while Beyene Effa Soboka, the second-runner up, came in closely behind at 2 hours, 15 minutes and 47 seconds.
The winner of the women's race, Asnakech Mengistu Egigayehu, clocked in at 2 hours, 33 minutes and 51 seconds. Tinbit Gidey Weldegebriel, the runner-up, followed at 2 hours, 34 minutes and 40 seconds while Fatuma Usen Tayr, the second-runner up, timed in at 2 hours, 40 minutes and 26 seconds.
The event featured nine segments. The organizing committee set up a sports supermarket, several supply stations and a music service station as well as organized folk culture performances alongside the race track. Athletes enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the route, while observing the relaxed and slow-paced lifestyle that Gaochun is known for. In addition, the organizing committee rewarded each runner who completed the full length of each segment with two Gucheng Lake crabs that were placed in their reward bag along with the other goodies.
The event was organized by the Chinese Athletic Association, the Jiangsu Provincial Sports Bureau and the local government of Gaochun. According to the spokesperson for the organizing committee, more than 90 percent of athletes came from places outside of Gaochun and more than 75 percent came from places outside of Nanjing. About half of the athletes came from places outside of Jiangsu province. "In other words, over 5,000 athletes come from regions outside of Jiangsu, which is amazing." Gaochun has been at the forefront of the public service messaging of the last few years to get everyone in China more involved in public fitness, a program in which the sports industry has played an important role. Sports-related events have served to boost the tourism industry as well as the hospitality sector and other related industries that depend on tourism.
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