Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon
Annual race in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
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The Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon (Chinese: 扬州鉴真国际半程马拉松赛) is an annual road running competition over the half marathon distance 21.0975 kilometres (13.1094 mi) which takes place in April in Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.
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| Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon | |
|---|---|
The course passes Yangzhou's Wenchang Pavilion | |
| Date | April |
| Location | Yangzhou, China |
| Event type | road |
| Distance | Half marathon |
| Established | 2006 |
| Course records | Men's: 59:31 (2025) Alex Nzioka MatataWomen's: 1:07:05 (2025) Catherine Amanang'ole |
| Official site | https://www.yzmls.com |
The event is named in honour of Jianzhen, a Chinese monk from the city who propagated Buddhism in Japan in the 8th century.[1] The event was first held in 2006 and grew exponentially in its first six years: it gained IAAF Silver Label Road Race status in 2010 and began to attract elite and amateur runners alike.[2] Almost 3000 runners finished the half marathon in 2011,[3] while the introduction of a 10K fun run that year saw 25,000 runners take part in the day's event. The race is predominantly Chinese, although 230 foreign athletes were present in 2011.[4] East African athletes typically occupy the higher places in the elite races.[5]
The very flat, point-to-point course is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races.[6] The city-centre course begins and ends at the Stadium of Yangzhou Sport Center and passes many of the city's landmarks, including the Wenchang Pavilion, Daming Temple and the Yangzhou Museum.[7]
The current men's course record is 00:59:31 by Alex Nzioka Matata in 2025. The women's course record is 1:07:05 by Catherine Amanang'ole in 2025. [8]
Past winners
Key: Course record
| Edition | Date | Men's winner | Time (h:m:s) | Women's winner | Time (h:m:s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 27 May 2006 |  Li Rongtian (CHN) |
1:05:53 | Ruth Wanjiru (KEN) |
1:13:42 |
| 2nd | 28 Apr 2007 | Cheng Tao (CHN) |
1:03:23 | Zhu Xiaolin (CHN) |
1:13:25 |
| 3rd | 06 Apr 2008 | Zhao Ran (CHN) |
1:02:57 | Zhou Chunxiu (CHN) |
1:08:59 |
| 4th | 26 Apr 2009 | John Musyoki (KEN) |
1:02:00 | Zhang Yingying (CHN) |
1:11:01 |
| 5th | 25 Apr 2010 |  Ahmed Baday (MAR) |
1:01:48 |  Nina Rillstone (NZL) |
1:11:18 |
| 6th | 24 Apr 2011 |  Deriba Merga (ETH) |
1:01:10 | Mare Dibaba (ETH) |
1:09:41 |
| 7th | 29 Apr 2012 | Ayele Abshero (ETH) |
1:01:11 | Philes Ongori (KEN) |
1:11:07 |
| 8th | 21 Apr 2013[9] | Yacob Jarso (ETH) |
1:00:39 | Worknesh Degefa (ETH) |
1:08:43 |
| 9th | 20 Apr 2014[10] |  Nguse Tesfaldet (ERI) |
1:00:08 | Gladys Cherono (KEN) |
1:08:16 |
| 10th | 19 Apr 2015 | Mosinet Geremew (ETH) |
59:52 | Flomena Cheyech (KEN) |
1:08:36 |
| 11th | 24 Apr 2016[11] | Mosinet Geremew (ETH) |
1:00:43 | Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) |
1:07:21 |
| 12th | 23 Apr 2017 | Mosinet Geremew (ETH) |
1:00:56 | Sutume Asefa (ETH) |
1:10:30 |
| 13th | 22 Apr 2018 | Mosinet Geremew (ETH) |
1:01:31 | Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) |
1:09:06 |
| 14th | 21 Apr 2019 | Berehanu Tsegu (ETH) |
59:56 | Perine Nengampi (KEN) |
1:08:04 |
| 15th | 8 Nov 2020 (cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic)[12] | ||||
| 16th | 7 Nov 2021 (cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic)[13] | ||||
| 17th | 3 Nov 2022 (cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic)[14] | ||||
| 18th | 16 Apr 2023[15] | Gerba Dibaba (ETH) |
1:00:51 | Beyenu Degefa (ETH) |
1:09:54 |
| 19th | 31 Mar 2024[16] | Edward Konana Koonyo (KEN) |
1:00:07 | Maurine Jemutai (KEN) |
1:07:19 |
| 20th | 30 Mar 2025[8] | Alex Nzioka Matata (KEN) |
59:31 | Catherine Amanang'ole (KEN) |
1:07:05 |