On the course of the 2026 Beijing Half Marathon, China's 10,000m record holder Wang Wenjie set a new Chinese men's half marathon record — 1:01:15 — eclipsing the previous mark held by Yu Shuiqing by 31 seconds. For most of the race Wang Wenjie ran alone on the course, relying on frequent glances at his watch to hold his pace. Around the 10–15 km mark, coach Cao Zhenshui, who rode a bicycle alongside him to offer encouragement, provided significant support. By the end of the first quarter of 2026, China's men's full marathon and half marathon records had already been broken. Wang Wenjie is only 22 years old, and an increasing number of young athletes are lighting up the future of Chinese marathon running with dazzling performances. The younger generation is formidable, and the future looks bright. On the men's side, Li Jinhao took second place in 01:03:06 — a new PB. Wang Qi finished third in 01:04:37. On the women's side, Xu Shuangshuang won in 01:09:54, Xia Yuyu was second in 01:10:07, and Liu Min took third in 01:10:54. 2026 Beijing Half Marathon men's top eight: 1 Wang Wenjie 01:01:15 2 Li Jinhao 01:03:06 3 Wang Qi 01:04:37 4 Gao Peng 01:04:56 5 Qin Zhongfu 01:05:11 6 Lan Rongjian 01:05:18 7 Wang Guangyao 01:06:19 8 Yang Zhangxing 01:06:47 2026 Beijing Marathon women's top eight: 1 Xu Shuangshuang 01:09:54 2 Xia Yuyu 01:10:07 3 Liu Min 01:10:54 4 Li Chunhui 01:11:04 5 Liu Junhui 01:11:19 6 Zheng Xiaoqian 01:11:29 7 Tang Xiaofang 01:12:20 8 Li Qingqing 01:12:24 Congratulations to the athletes! #TrailRunningBoom #WangWenjie #2026BeijingHalfMarathon#Marathon #ChineseHalfMarathonRecord