The performances of Tibetan athletes in endurance events have advanced significantly in recent years.

On the evening of September 5, in the men’s 10,000 meters race at the 13th National Games of People’s Republic of China (PRC), Tibetan athlete Tobgye won the champion with a time of 28 minutes and 26.86 seconds, earning not only his first gold medal in China’s national games, but also the first for the track and field team from Tibet in the national games.

Tibetan athletes have a natural advantage when it comes to endurance events due  to their strong Heart-Lung Function and ability to resist hypoxia, benefitting from the commonly living in high altitude areas. As a result, endurance sport events such as long-distance running and walking are becoming more and more important for Tibet’s athletics.

Kelsang Tsering, coach of Tobgye, said, “Our goal is to aim even higher. We want to contribute for China to uplift the result of its relatively weak endurance athletic events.”