After the long 24-hour competition, the Soochow “2015 Soochow International Ultra-Marathon

After the long 24-hour competition, the Soochow University 24-Hour Ultra-Marathon has finally come to an end on 22 November 2015. Ivan Cudin from Italy finished first with a total of 250.731 kilometers, followed by Zhao Zi-Yu with 240.853 km, and first-time participant Chueh Tieh-Cheng from Taiwan came in third with 237.146 kilometers. Among female runners, Jodie Oborne from Australia finished first with 227.429 kilometers and thanked cheering students for giving her the strength to finish her first Soochow ultra-marathon.  She also made special mention of the sporadic rain during the event, and said that was more of a help rather than hindrance, and was a key factor in her finishing well.

Gold medalist Ivan Cudin, who won three championships in the Greek Spartathlon, also thanked all the cheering student volunteers.

Cudin had run on Soochow campus for three straight years. After winning his first gold medal in the race gave credits to student volunteers who he declared to be real winners for cheering the runners for 24 hours on end.  Ivan also thanked his girlfriend Benedetti Michela for her support throughout the whole marathon. 

Chinese runners Zhao Zi-Yu and Shan Ying both come in second

Zhao Zi-Yu from China just won first place in Xuan-Zang Desert Extreme Race, and within sixty days flew over to join the Soochow ultra-marathon for the second time. With 240.8 kilometers he not only finished second, but also met the 240-kilometer international standard for male runners in ultra-marathons. Last year, due to lack of experience, he ran into a major problem with food supply.  During a race in Hong Kong, a piece of advice was given to him by Japanese runner Sekiya Ryoichi, and he was able to exert his strength this time.

Shan Ying, also from China, has won first place at the Fu-Zhou 12-hour ultra-marathon and the Hong Kong 24-hour ultra-marathon. Her persistence and great control of pace brought her to the second place with 220.686 kilometers among female runners in her first Soochow ultra-marathon.

First-time participant Chueh Tieh-Cheng of Taiwan comes in third

Chueh Tieh-Cheng from Taiwan, after winning the title at National Taipei University’s 12-hour ultra-marathon last March, finished third and was first among Taiwanese runners.  He is now a rising star in Taiwan’s marathon races.

All eyes were also on the female Taiwanese runner Lee Wei-Chen, who was able to get amazing results in every race she was in. This time, she finished with 204.107 kilometers and won the third place. Despite the smallness of her build, she demonstrated a strong will to finish the race. To her, the many excellent runners in the race pushed her to exceed her limits, and the prize was beyond her expectation.

Cheng Zhee-Long, the brave one, sets new record

Cheng Zhee-Long, who suffers from cerebral palsy, has been in the ultra-marathon four years in a row. According to the Malaysia runner the weather wasn’t good for a 24-hour marathon, as his pace would be interrupted every fifteen minutes.  He kept bumping against the wall the whole time during the 24-hour race.  Despite of what he said Cheng nonetheless finished 82.405 kilometers breaking his own record of 74.785 km from last year.  His persistence in completing the race has also earned applauses from everyone.

The Soochow University International 24-Hour Ultra-Marathon is a highly challenging race that pushes everyone to their limits both physically and mentally. Despite of the poor weather this year, every single runner has done her or his best to achieve their glory. Four runners achieving the IAU Golden Label standard include Mr. Ivan Cudin from Italy, Mr. Zhao Zi-Yu from China, Ms. Jodie Oborne from Australia and Ms. Shan Ying from China. Mr. Chueh Tieh-Cheng from Taiwan was only 2.854 kilometers short of the Golden standard, leaving this year’s marathon the closest 24-hour race to achieve it. 

【IAU Golden Label standard】

A total of five runners in one event exceeding the marks of 240 kilometers for male runners, and 220 kilometers for female runners