The 2014 New Taipei City Wanjinshi International Marathon wrapped up March 2 in picturesque Pacific Green Bay, greatly boosting Taiwan’s profile as a global destination for sporting events.
Started in 2003 and organized by the city’s Department of Education, the one-day event in the northeastern part of the country attracted around 12,000 participants from home and abroad, including 20 renowned runners from nine countries on five continents, including Australia, Ethiopia, France, Japan and the U.S.
Hassane Ahouchar from Morocco topped the male division, finishing in a record 2 hours, 17 minutes, 17 seconds, followed by Gudisa Shentema from Ethiopia and Wilson Kibet from Kenya.
Making their debut at the event, North Korean runners ran away from the pack in the female division. Kim Ji-hyang claimed gold in record time and Rim Gum-hui took bronze. The silver went to Ednah Mukwanah from Kenya.
According to a DOE official, this year’s marathon was the first time Taiwan had applied for such an event to be considered a qualifying race for the Olympics by the International Association of Athletics Federation.
Yukio Seki, an IAAF official visiting Taiwan to observe the event as part of the review process, said the local competition met the IAAF bronze label race standards with adequate traffic controls by the police and high levels of contestant satisfaction.
“If the race wins IAAF recognition, Taiwan will become an alternative to Dubai, Japan, North Korea, Singapore and mainland China in Asia,” the DOE official said. “This will save money and time for local athletes, as well as attract more international competitors to Taiwan.”
The IAAF will make a final decision on the race’s application in October, the official added. (SFC-JSM)
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