Chinese Zhou Chunxiu won the women's marathon gold medal at the Guangzhou Asian Games here on Saturday.

The defending champion Zhou led throughout the race to clock her season best of two hours 25 minutes.

Fellow Chinese Zhu Xiaolin got the silver in 2:26:35 and DPR Korean Kim Kum Ok finished third in 2:27:06.

"The weather is a little hot," said Zhou, 32, bronze medalist of the event at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. "But I ran my very best. I am very happy."

"I cooperated with my teammate Zhu Xiaolin in the race," Zhou added. "It was our tactics."

Zhu said the Asian Games would be her last competition of the year. "It is a perfect end for the year," she said. "I maintained good form in the whole year and I am satisfied with that."

"I will focus on the 2011 world championships and 2012 London Olympic Games after the Asiad," she added. "But the specific plan has not been set yet."

Kim, the bronze medallist, said: "My time was not good. The weather was hot and it wasn't my best run."

(Xinhua News Agency November 27, 2010)