ACCRA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Scores of international athletes joined local counterparts to compete in the 8th Millennium Half Marathon Saturday in Ghana's capital Accra.

The half marathon, which attracted both the young and the old, started at 7 a.m. local time near the country's Independence Square.

With a time of 62 minutes and 27 seconds, 26-year-old Peter Mwanikil from Kenya won the men's half marathon, while his compatriot, 27-year-old Lilian Lelei, also finished first over the same distance in the female category, with a time of one hour and 11 minutes.

Mwanikil could not hide his excitement, saying his glory came about through self-confidence and hard work.

"It's only because we had good training, we are determined, and we are concentrating on good training every time. The trick is only having confidence and believing in yourself because there are no tricks in running. I can say I'm happy," he said, adding that he planned to compete in other upcoming competitions around the world.

Organizer Cathy Morton expressed her joy over the participation the event had attracted this year.

"I think this year has been very successful. We are really impressed with the numbers. I think it's showing that Ghanaians are really taking up an active, healthy lifestyle, and we are really proud of our Ghanaian runners who have also participated in the 21-kilometer race," she said.

First held in 2015, the Millennium Marathon is Accra's premier international half marathon with an AIMS-certified course, which means the course has been measured professionally and the distance is exactly as stated in the certificate to centimeters. Enditem

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