Martin Li, Zhang Jiana

    martin.mouse@163.com

    ABRHA MILAW ASEFA, a young man from Ethiopia who won Shenzhen’s first urban marathon yesterday, said he felt happy and excited about the entire experience.

    “I concentrated on running and had practiced hard to achieve a good result in Shenzhen’s race. I want to thank the people who cheered for me on the way. I was happy to hear their voices,” said Asefa, who was born in 1988 and completed the 2013 Shenzhen Angel International Marathon in two hours, 12 minutes and 29 seconds.

    His personal best is the two hours and nine minutes he needed for a Nov. 3 marathon in Rennes, northwestern France.

    Asefa said he felt good running on Shenzhen’s streets.

    “It’s a great opportunity for me,” he said.

    Jacqueline Nyetipei Kiplimo from Kenya, who was the fastest female runner in yesterday’s full marathon, also said she was impressed by the cheering of enthusiastic spectators who lined the route.

    “It’s my first time to run in Shenzhen. People are very nice here. Today’s weather is a little bit cold for me and I didn’t get used to it at first, so it wasn’t easy for me to run in the first half distance,” Kiplimo said. “However, I felt physically good after the halfway point and then I began to sprint. ...When I had run 38 kilometers, I realized I had a great chance to win, so I tried my best to sprint.”

    Kiplimo completed the marathon in two hours, 37 minutes and 41 seconds.

    Even before Sunday’s win, Kiplimo was known for sportsmanship in races.

    During the China Zheng-Kai International Marathon in 2010, Kiplimo saw a dehydrated and disabled Chinese runner struggling to drink water. She ran with him from the 10km to the 38km mark, aiding him through all the water stations. This slowed her time — she came in second in the race — and cost her not only the win, but also the US$10,000 cash prize.

    “I have never regretted helping the man. To me, he was not a stranger, but someone who needed my help,” Kiplimo said.