Hunan runner makes history at North Pole marathon

"The temperature was around minus 10 C, but the humidity made it feel much colder," Wang recalled.

The course included some 300 to 400 meters of snow-covered terrain, with the snow reaching depths of up to 40 centimeters in places and making each step a struggle to pull free.

"Beneath the snow was not solid ground, but chunks of ice with gaps between them. It was easy to slip and fall," he said.

Wang fell three times. One fall tore a large hole in his trousers, and blood seeped from the wound before the cold sealed it. He did not stop to check.

As runners passed, the snow gradually melted beneath their feet, forming puddles across the course. Wang accidentally stepped into one, filling his shoes with freezing water.

Despite the difficulties, Wang led from start to finish. The runner who finished second was 15 minutes behind — a significant gap in a marathon.

"When I saw the finish line, I was so excited," Wang said. "I did what I set out to do — bringing the championship glory to my country and my hometown, and showing the world the fighting spirit of Hunan people."

Wang was born in a village in Xiangyin, Hunan. As a boy, he loved racing other children barefoot along the ridges between rice paddies. He would keep running long after the others had given up, until his legs could carry him no farther.

After graduating from university, Wang worked in sales for several years before co-founding a tech startup. The relentless pace of work took a heavy toll on his health, and a sudden attack of acute gallstones sent him to the emergency room.