It sure was a cold day for a run.

Postponed from early October to late November, this year's Beijing Marathon turned out to be the coldest in the event's history, as the temperature was 1 C when the race began at Tian'anmen Square at 8:30 am on Sunday.

Though they dominated the race, some of Africa's top runners weren't happy with the results.

"The weather was very cold - though we have tried as best as we can, the time was not as good as we expected, so we just tried our best," said runner-up Eliud Kiptanui of Kenya.

Ethiopian Tariku Jufar Robi won the men's race in 2 hr 9 min 39 sec, while his compatriot Solomon Molla Tiemuay finished third.

China's female runners continued their monopoly of the race. With the absence of competitive rivals, Chinese bagged the top nine spots.

Jia Chaofeng, who won the women's race in 2:27.40, said the cold weather was not a big problem for her.

"It was somewhat difficult because Beijing was so cold today, and I felt my muscles were a little bit stiff in the last part of the course," said Jia, who is from Gansu province. "But I think it's easier for athletes from Gansu, as the weather in Northwest China is similar to Beijing, and I am used to it."

The 24-year-old, who switched to the marathon from the 5,000m and 10,000m in 2010, will now begin preparing for the 2013 National Games.

"Actually, I haven't participated in many marathons, and therefore I always hope to learn from domestic and foreign runners when I have the chance to take part," said Jia, who won the 2011 Lanzhou International Marathon. "That championship was very helpful in boosting my self-confidence to compete in more races in the future."'

tangzhe@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/26/2012 page24)