2025 New Taipei City WJS Marathon Kicks Off on March 16 Kenyan Runner with a 2:04 Marathon Record Set to Compete—A Strong Contender to Break the WJS Marathon Men's Record
TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach Newswire - 19 March 2025 - The highly anticipated 2025 New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon (WJS Marathon) was held on March 16, a special event at Xinzhuang Gymnasium welcomed elite international athletes. New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Liu Han-jan and Chinese Taipei Athletics Association President Yeh Cheng-yen extended their greetings, celebrating the arrival of the WJS Marathon's 'Black Lightning in Taiwan. During the press conference, athletes took part in a trending fluid art activity, using vibrant paints to bring new life to a Queen's Head sculpture. This unique artwork serves as a special keepsake, commemorating their time in Taiwan.
The WJS Marathon is Taiwan's first gold-label race and the first event to receive silver certification from the Council for Responsible Sport for its sustainability efforts.
Deputy Mayor Liu Han-jan welcomed elite runners from Kenya, Eritrea, and Ethiopia on behalf of Mayor Hou You-yi. Having personally run the WJS Marathon course almost every year and like many other participants, Liu shared his appreciation for the breathtaking coastal and mountain views and the enthusiastic cheers from spectators along the route. The WJS Marathon is Taiwan's first gold-label race and the first event to receive silver certification from the Council for Responsible Sport for its sustainability efforts. Chinese Taipei Athletics Association President Yeh Cheng-yen has played a key role in elevating the event from bronze to silver and maintaining its gold-label status for three consecutive years. Special thanks were also extended for the continued invitation of elite athletes each year. Among this year's 13 elite athletes, a Kenyan runner stands out with a personal best of 2:04:52—a remarkable achievement compared to the current WJS Marathon record of 2:09:31. Additionally, this year's grand prize has been raised from USD 45,000 to USD 50,000, adding even more excitement to the race and raising hopes of awarding the record-breaking bonus.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
GB's Kartal wins as women return to Queen's
Britain's Sonay Kartal secured the biggest win of her career as women's tennis returned to Queen's Club for the first time since 1973. The 23-year-old secured a superb 6-1 3-6 6-3 win over world number 16 Daria Kasatkina of Australia to start her grass-court season on a high. Advertisement It is the first time a women's tournament has been held at the iconic venue since 1973, when Olga Morozova lifted the trophy. Queen's has been a mainstay on the men's calendar and a WTA 500 event has been added this year in an attempt to raise the profile of the women's game and increase the visibility of the sport. Come Sunday, the trophy will finally have a new name on it, with world number seven Zheng Qinwen, Australian Open champion Madison Keys and 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina among the top seeds competing in the capital. Jodie Burrage will attempt to set up a meeting with doubles partner Kartal in the last 16 when she faces Amanda Anisimova later on Monday. Advertisement Meanwhile, British pair Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu overcame China's Jiang Zinyu and Wu 6-4 6-2 Fang-hsien on their maiden outing as a doubles partnership on a packed Court One. It could be an all-British affair in the quarter-finals should Britons Burrage and Kartal overcome top seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe on Tuesday. Kartal has enjoyed a remarkable rise in the past 12 months, moving from outside the top 250 to a career-high of 50 in the world. Cheered on by a packed partisan crowd, Kartal dominated the opening set against Kasatkina before the Australian bounced back in the second set to level proceedings. Advertisement But it was an impressive response from the Briton, who beamed after slamming down a forehand winner to seal victory. "The nerves hit me a little but to be able to play on this court with you guys cheering me on it was a super special moment," said Kartal. "The last few months I've played bigger tournaments so I'm handling the bigger occasions better. "But I'm going at my own pace in this crazy sport." 'Scrap that, we're going for the Wimbledon title' Fans were treated to an appearance from Sir Andy Murray before the action kicked off, with the club's main court renamed the Andy Murray Arena in honour of the five-time champion. Advertisement Murray spoke on court before hitting a few balls - later apologising for his "diabolical" tennis. The Briton also delivered the coin toss for the first match of the tournament between two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia. Murray did the coin toss before the opening match- between Petra Kvitova and Beatriz Haddad Maia - on the Andy Murray Arena [Getty Images] But while crowds had gathered early to see three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, it was the more intimate court one where fans queued for over an hour to see Boulter and Raducanu team up. The pair were full of smiles as they comfortably came through their opening-round match thanks to some powerful baseline shots from Boulter and clever put-aways from Raducanu, who was playing only her second WTA Tour doubles match. Advertisement Asked if they would pair up again for Wimbledon, Raducanu gave a diplomatic answer, saying: "We haven't spoken about it. "It kind of happened spontaneously but it went pretty well. We're just going to keep trying to do as best as we can this week and take it from there." Boulter joked: "Scrap what she said - we're going for the Wimbledon title." That friendly rapport between the two translated on court, with the pair laughing and high-fiving between points. Raducanu even had a chat with the crowd while filling up her water bottle, such is the closeness of the stand to the players' chairs. Advertisement Backed by a capacity crowd of 1,000, the British number one and two complimented each other well. "Sometimes on the smaller courts you get a bigger feel for the match because it's more intimate and you hear the support more. I think it puts a really nice feel to it," Raducanu added. It also gave the two a chance to play on the grass before they begin their singles campaigns on Tuesday. Raducanu faces Spain's Cristina Bucsa before Boulter takes on Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Andy Murray apologises for his ‘diabolical' tennis on Queen's Club court named after him
Andy Murray plays a backhand as he unveils the Andy Murray Arena at Queen's Club on Monday. Andy Murray plays a backhand as he unveils the Andy Murray Arena at Queen's Club on Monday. Photograph:for LTA Andy Murray admitted that his tennis is 'diabolical nowadays' as he officially opened the centre court at Queen's Club that now bears his name. The two-time Wimbledon champion was given a ball-girl guard of honour before hitting a couple of points with tournament director Laura Robson and two local schoolchildren. Advertisement Related: Emma Raducanu admits being 'wary when going out' after stalker ordeal in Dubai But as the crowd cheered him on, Murray admitted that his tennis game had gone to pot since retiring after the Paris Olympics last year. 'This is great,' he said. 'I obviously miss being out here. This is the first time not being involved in a grass court season for a while. But I've got a new life now and am enjoying being away from the sport a little bit. 'My tennis is diabolical nowadays, so apologies for what you're about to witness, but I'll give it a go,' he added. Murray, who won five ATP singles tournaments at Queen's in west London, also thanked the club for renaming the Centre Court the Andy Murray Arena. Advertisement 'This tournament, and this court has had many special moments for me as a player,' he said. 'This tournament was where I won my first match of the ATP Tour and it was my most successful event. 'I always love coming back here at the start of the British summer. I'm very proud of the results I have here and I'm very grateful and thankful for whoever decided to name the stadium after me.' Murray now spends much of his time working on his golf game, where he has a handicap in the low single figures, but said he was unable to maintain his nerve at his club championships. 'I was playing the club championships yesterday at my local club,' he said. 'I was tied second, going into the final day, but unfortunately I didn't get it done. But I'll come back and try again.' Advertisement Murray was speaking minutes before the first women's tournament at Queen's Club since 1973 got underway. 'I think it's brilliant,' he said. 'I actually just met the last winner here, Olga Morazova, who actually coached me when I was 12, 13 years old. She was the last winner here 52 years ago, which is incredible. 'This court has had many great matches on it and I think it's a great chance for the women to showcase themselves out here,' he added.
Hypebeast
a day ago
- Hypebeast
Wrist Check: Carlos Alcaraz Celebrates 2025 Roland Garros Win in the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona "Tiffany"
Summary Spanish tennis sensationCarlos Alcarazcelebrated his hard-fought victory at the 2025 Roland Garros (French Open) by proudly sporting a luxuriousRolex Cosmograph Daytona'Tiffany' (Ref. 126518LN). His triumph on Sunday, June 8, 2025 was against Jannik Sinner in a thrilling five-set final, the longest final inRoland Garroshistory clocking in at five hour and 29 minutes. The watch, a highly sought-after piece from Rolex, features an 18k yellow gold Oyster case with a 40mm diameter. Its striking design is defined by a vibrant turquoise blue lacquer dial, which has led to its 'Tiffany' nickname, and contrasting black snailed sub-dials. The watch is powered by Rolex's in-house Calibre 4131, a perpetual mechanical chronograph movement offering a 72-hour power reserve. It's paired with a comfortable and durable black Oysterflex bracelet, which combines the robustness of a metal bracelet with the comfort of an elastomer. Unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2025, this particular Rolex Cosmograph Daytona model has a retail price of approximately $39,600 USD, though its market value can be significantly higher, reaching around $150,000 USD due to its desirability. Take a closer look at the watch above.
