Ningxia's He Jie took gold on Saturday in the men's marathon at the National Games. It's the first time the National Games marathon has been in a cross-boundary format. Runners started and finished in Shenzhen, while the middle section of the race was in Hong Kong.

He completed the 42 km race in two hours, 12 minutes and seven seconds, and was visibly emotional after crossing the finish line.

Yunnan's Gao Peng was seven seconds behind, with Wu Xiangdong from Anhui coming third.

In the women's race, Zhang Deshun topped the podium by finishing the race in two hours, 30 minutes and 20 seconds.

Ciren Cuomu crossed the finish line five seconds later, with Lu Ying from Henan coming third.

Five Hong Kong runners: Vincent Lam, Cheung Yiu-leung, Crystal Vut, Virginia Lo and Leanne Szeto also took part in the race.

Lam, who came 19th in the men's race, said he was very satisfied with his result.

He placed 19th with a time of two hours, 23 minutes and three seconds.

"The track had a lot of challanges – slopes and crosswind, etc. But it's a very good experience for me because it's my first time participating at the National Games and on home soil," he said.

"I heard a lot of volunteers and staff cheering for me. Their affection gave me the power to do better."

As for Lo – who came in 12th in the women's race – she told RTHK that although her goal was to finish in the top eight, this performance was her personal best.

She believes the experience will be helpful in her preparations for the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon in January.

"It will make my mentality stronger and be better prepared. Every marathon offers a valuable experience, which will be accumulated," Lo added.

The men's race set off from the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre at 7am, followed by the women's 30 minutes later.

Runners headed to Shenzhen Bay Port before crossing into Hong Kong.

Athletes then ran along the Shenzhen Bay Bridge and Kong Sham Western Highway Viaduct, before doubling back to finish where they started.
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Last updated: 2025-11-15 HKT 16:32