Ma Zhenxia finishes first with a personal best time of 42 minutes, 52 seconds. [Photo/sportsphoto.cn]

The "Exciting Hangzhou" marathon and race walking continued with the race walking test event being held on Sunday. "Exciting Hangzhou" serves as a test event and trial for September's Asian Games, as well as the next World Championships in Oregon, USA in July.

After the marathon was completed on Saturday, a 10-kilometer race walk takes place on Sunday morning. A total of 20 athletes participated in the women's event including Yang Jiayu, world record holder in the 20 kilometer, and Ma Zhenxia, who claimed the women's 20-kilometer individual title at the World athletics race walking team championships in early March. The title has already ensured the 23-year-old an entrance ticket for the Asian Games, but Ma did not go easy and finished first with a personal best time of 42 minutes, 52 seconds, while Yang came third. 

The next test event will be on Saturday with the men's and women's 20-kilometer race walking in Huangshan.

Ma takes the lead. [Photo/sportsphoto.cn]

Ma takes the lead. [Photo/sportsphoto.cn]