2010/11/06 19:50:56
Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) Taiwan's Chiang Chieh-wen and Lee Hsiao-yu won the men's and women's golds in the 2010 Taroko Gorge Marathon held in one of Taiwan's most popular scenic spots Saturday.
Chiang surprised Kenyan runner James Meli to win the men's marathon in 2 hours 27 minutes 41 seconds, while Lee, a member of the Taiwan women's triathlon team, took women's gold in 3 hours 9 minutes 3 seconds.
The annual competition was held in the spectacular Taroko Gorge in eastern Taiwan's Hualien County. The national park is considered a must see by domestic and international tourists for its high mountains and sheer gorges.
To the surprise of organizer Chinese Taipei Road Running Association, more than 8,000 runners, around 95 percent of those registered, participated in the event despite closure of the Suhua Highway following typhoon-induced heavy rains and landslides in October.
The highway is the only direct road between Taipei and Hualien, and visiting the county has been difficult since then.
Running for the fist time in the Taroko Gorge event, Chiang was surprised at his victory, but suspected Meli was not in top form due to jet lag and late arrival in Taiwan. Meli won silver in 2 hours 34 minutes 43 seconds, while Taiwan's Ho Chih-fung finished third in 2 hours 38 minutes 31 seconds.
Lee took advantage of the absence of defending women's champion Esther Mutuku of Kenya, who was forced to withdraw from the event when a Kenyan airport closed due to heavy rain.
Japanese runners took silver and bronze in the women's event, with Matsui Kazuha finishing second in 3 hours 13 minutes 24 seconds and Yamaguchi Mitsu third in 3 hours 17 minutes 19 seconds. (By Chris Wang) enditem/MH