China's He Jie crossed the finishing line with the timings of 1:03:44 and clinched a gold medal and a cash prize of 5,500 USD. The African trio fell just one second short of victory and secured a joint-second place.
A video clip capturing the final moments of the race shows a remarkable scene: Kenya's Willy Mnangat turns toward He Jie and gestures for him to move ahead as the four runners, including former 5km world record-holder Robert Keter of Kenya and Ethiopia's Dejene Hailu, run side by side just m