Chinese wheelchair racer Zhang Yong competes during the 2017 New York City Marathon on Nov 5, 2017. [Photo by Judy Zhu/chinadaily.com.cn]

Huang Peng, head coach of the Chinese Wheelchair Racing Team, said. "Our Chinese athletes are good at track races, but we don't have much experience in city marathons."

"We tried our best to train and prepare so that our athletes can be better at wheelchair racing in the future," Huang said.

Zou said their performance will break new ground and bring more opportunities to young Chinese athletes to compete worldwide.

"I invited the three other athletes to come this year, so that they can have more opportunities to be invited to other worldwide events," Zou said with a smile. "That's how it worked, the older one paves the way for younger generations."

"Marathons have always been European and American featured sports. We cannot compete with their genes and experience. But, the gifted may not be the best," said Song Lei, 22, who just started attending competitions abroad this year.

"The marathon is also a sport about spirit. We can always make a record if we don't give up."

The New York City's mayor's office reported that more than 2 million people turned out this year to watch more than 50,000 runners from 125 countries compete.

Among them, there were also some Chinese volunteers.

"The marathon is becoming fashionable in China and around the globe. It encourages an environmental-friendly lifestyle. I hope to see more Chinese racers next year," said Tina Wu, a sports business major at NYU.