A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
伦敦马拉松：他跑进了两小时
Sebastian Sabbe Runs Official 1:59:30 Marathon
About this story
Sebastian Sabbe from Kenya runs a marathon in under 2 hours at London — the fastest time ever. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 8 minutes. The full Mandarin script is shown with tap-for-pinyin and a line-by-line English translation, so you can listen and read at once — comprehensible input in the sense of Stephen Krashen's i+1 theory. It teaches 18 key vocabulary words such as 跑、快、时间 and walks through 6 grammar patterns, each explained in English with examples. The same news story is retold at 4 difficulty levels — use the level selector above to find the version that is challenging but still understandable for you.
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原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
English transcript reference
Speaking of a person who runs very fast, today we'll talk about him.
There is a person.
His name is Sabbé.
He is not Chinese.
He is a foreigner.
He comes from a country.
This country is called Kenya.
Kenya is in a very far place.
Sabbé is thirty-one years old this year.
He's not too big, and not too small.
He is very tall.
Sabbé does a job.
His job is running.
What is running?
Running is using your feet to walk very fast.
You don't walk fast.
You run fast.
Sabbé runs very, very fast.
Faster than ordinary people.
He runs every day.
His job is running.
One day, many people came to a place.
This place is called London.
London is not in China.
London is in a country.
This country is called England.
What did they come to London for?
They came to run.
They came to compete.
"To compete" means to see who is first.
Whoever runs the fastest is first.
The date that day was April twenty-sixth.
That day, the weather was not too cold, and not too hot.
There were many people, very many.
Everyone came to watch.
They were going to run a very long distance.
This distance is very long.
We call this run a "marathon."
A marathon is a very long run.
It's not one hundred meters, or one thousand meters.
It is forty-two times one thousand meters.
This run is very, very, very long.
Ordinary people cannot run this far.
Sabbé can run it.
Sabbé didn't just want to run far.
He also wanted to run fast.
He wanted to use very little time to finish.
Sabbé started running.
He ran very fast.
He ran and ran, ran and ran.
He ran for one hour.
An hour is a kind of time.
Sixty minutes is one hour.
He ran for one hour, without stopping.
He kept running.
He ran for fifty-nine minutes.
He hadn't finished yet.
He kept running.
He ran for thirty seconds.
Then, he finished.
How much time did he use?
One hour, fifty-nine minutes, and thirty seconds.
What does this time mean?
Two hours is sixty minutes plus sixty minutes.
One hour fifty-nine minutes thirty seconds is less than two hours.
Less by thirty seconds.
In other words, Sabbé finished in less than two hours.
This thing — no one had ever been able to do it before.
Before, all people used more than two hours.
Sabbé is the first.
The first!
He is the first.
Faster than everyone before him.
There is a person named Kiptum.
He is also Kenyan.
He used to run the fastest.
He used a little more than two hours.
Two hours and thirty-five seconds.
He was the number one before.
Now he isn't anymore.
Now the number one is Sabbé.
Sabbé is faster than Kiptum.
Faster by a little.
That day there were also other people who ran very fast.
There is a person named Kojelcha.
He also took less than two hours.
And there's another person named Kiplimo.
He also ran very fast.
The three of them all beat Kiptum's previous time.
So that day, three people were all amazing.
"Amazing" means very good — a big good.
Everyone was very happy.
Sabbé was the happiest.
He laughed at the end.
His friends all came.
They all said: You are amazing!
Sabbé said: I am very happy.
That day there was also another race.
It was a women's race.
There is a woman named Asefa.
She is not Kenyan.
She is from a country called Ethiopia.
These two countries are both in very far places.
Both are not in China.
Asefa also ran very fast.
She ran for a little more than two hours.
Two hours, fifteen minutes, forty-one seconds.
This time is less than the time she used before.
Less by nine seconds.
So Asefa is also the number one.
She is also very happy.
Asefa's friends all came too.
They all said: Great!
Asefa said: Thank you.
Now let's think about this.
Why is being under two hours so important?
Two hours is a very big number.
For a person to run such a long distance, they usually need more than two hours.
Less than two hours — too hard, too hard, too hard.
People before said: Impossible!
"Impossible" means cannot be done.
But Sabbé did it.
He did the impossible thing.
So everyone was very happy.
They all said: People can do many things.
We all can.
There is another good thing about this.
Many, many people watched the race.
All very happy.
Children also came to watch.
Old people also came to watch.
And some people watched on TV at home.
They all said: We also want to run.
So now many people are starting to run.
They say: Running is good.
Running can make people happy.
Running can make people's bodies good.
A good body means no illness.
People without illness are very happy.
So many people are starting to run.
Not to run the fastest.
Just to run.
Run a little, that's good.
Today's story is finished.
What did we talk about?
We talked about a person.
His name is Sabbé.
He is from Kenya.
He ran in London.
He ran very fast.
He used one hour, fifty-nine minutes, thirty seconds.
This time — no one had ever done it before.
He is the first.
There is also a woman named Asefa.
She also ran very fast.
This race is called the marathon.
The marathon is a very long run.
Forty-two times one thousand meters.
This race was on April twenty-sixth.
That day was a good day.
Today our story is finished.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇The main verb of the episode. Walking is 走 (zǒu); running 跑 is faster. Common patterns: 跑得快 (run fast), 跑完 (finish running). Often used with 步: 跑步 = jogging.
Adjective for speed. Opposite is 慢 (slow). Used as 跑得快 (runs fast), 很快 (very fast), 快了 (became faster). Also means 'soon/almost' as in 快到了 (almost there).
Refers to a span of time. 用了多少时间? = How much time did it take? Pair with 小时 (hour), 分钟 (minute), 秒 (second).
Measure word for time duration. 一个小时 = one hour, 两个小时 = two hours. Note: must use 个 between number and 小时.
60 分 = 1 小时. In times like 三十分 = 30 minutes. Also means 'point/score' or to divide. The full form is 分钟 (the listener will also hear 分钟 used).
Common HSK 1-2 noun. 我们的国家 = our country. China = 中国, England = 英国. The literal meaning is 'state' + 'family.'
Used both as a verb (比一比 = let's compare) and a comparison particle. A 比 B 快 = A is faster than B. Crucial for the structure 萨维比基普图姆快.
Very general HSK 1 verb. 做工作 = do work, 做到了 = managed to do it / accomplished it. 做到 carries the sense of 'achieving.'
HSK 1 emotion word. 我很高兴 = I am very happy. 更高兴 = even happier. Often paired with 看到/见到 (happy to see).
Two senses. 想跑 = want to run. 想一想 = think about (it). Reduplicated 想一想 softens the verb to 'think for a moment.'
Ordinal number. 第一个 = the first one, 第一名 = first place. The prefix 第 turns a cardinal number into an ordinal: 第二 = second, 第三 = third.
Noun and verb. The 比 here is the same character as 比较 (compare). 一场比赛 = one match (measure word 场).
Phonetic loanword from English. The race is 42.195 km. The episode also uses it metaphorically for 'something very long and tough.'
Casual praise word. 你太厉害了 = you're amazing! Originally 厉害 meant 'severe/fierce,' but the modern colloquial usage is overwhelmingly positive.
Time word. 以前 + verb = in the past did X. Opposite is 以后 (after). Often paired with 现在 (now) for past/present contrast.
Modal of possibility. 不可能 = impossible — a key phrase repeated in the episode. As a noun: 一个可能 = one possibility.
Common connector. Often paired with 因为 (because): 因为...所以... Even when 因为 is dropped, 所以 alone introduces a result.
Refers to one's physical body, but very often used to mean 'health.' 身体好 = healthy. 身体不好 = in poor health.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法Subject + 是 + Noun
The most basic 'A is B' sentence in Mandarin. 是 connects two nouns to identify or define.
他是一个外国人。
这个国家叫肯尼亚。
他叫萨维。
Verb + 得 + Adverbial
The 得 (de) complement describes how an action is performed. 跑得很快 = runs very fast. The complement comes after the verb, not before.
萨维跑得很快很快。
他用了很少的时间跑完。
他跑得最快。
A 比 B + Adjective
The comparison structure. The thing being compared comes after 比, then the adjective. No need for a 'than' word — 比 already does that work.
萨维比基普图姆还快。
比一般的人都快。
一个小时五十九分三十秒比两个小时少。
Verb + 完
完 attached to a verb means 'finish doing it.' 跑完 = finish running, 说完 = finish speaking. A common HSK 1-2 resultative.
他跑完了。
他还没跑完。
今天的事情说完了。
X 就是 Y (definitional)
Used to define or explain a word. Literally 'X just is Y.' This is the workhorse pattern for in-line glossing of new vocabulary in this episode.
跑就是用脚很快地走。
比一比就是看谁第一。
不可能就是不能做。
也 (also)
Adverb meaning 'also/too.' Comes BEFORE the verb, not before the noun. 我也喜欢 = I also like (it), not 也我喜欢.
他也是肯尼亚人。
她也跑得很快。
老人也来看。
Proper nouns
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