AFRICAN RUNNERS IN IT FOR THE LONG RUN

Athletes from continent making their mark in country as part of increasing marathons

Some 30,000 athletes took part in the Beijing Marathon on Sunday, with the starter's pistol reverberating against blue skies in Tian'anmen Square at 7:30 am.

Once again, African runners outperformed the pack during the 42-kilometer course, and the growing number of distance events in China is increasingly becoming a launchpad for the careers of thousands of runners from the continent.