Officials from Binhu district authorities fire the starting pistol. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Unlike last year, when Kenyan runners claimed all top three spots in the men's race, Chinese participants enjoyed a blowout performance this year, with Ji Yixin, a second-year college student from China's coastal city of Qingdao, holding off Peng Dengpeng to clock 1:12:12 and win his first gold medal.

In an interview after the race, the young man teased himself as he could have achieved a better time if he had not needed to answer nature's call.

"But the scenic course and local residents' wild response were really inspiring," the freshly-crowned champion said.

In the women's race, Hao Xiaofan, an elite runner and PE teacher at Yangzhou University, crossed the finishing line in first place along with Dong Shiyun, last year's second-prize winner, with a time of 1:22:42, just seven seconds faster than her rival.

She said she enjoyed the lakeside course and was satisfied with her performance this time.

Jointly organized by the Chinese Athletic Association and Wuxi Binhu district authorities, the 2017 Beverly Round Lihu Lake International Half Marathon aims to promote a greener environment and better integration with man and nature. It also features a mini-marathon to encourage more people to try running and live a healthy lifestyle.