May 12th, the second Sunday of May 2019, is a day to honor mothers and give them gifts. That very morning at 7 AM, the starting gun rang out at Gulangyu Piano Pier for the 361° She Run 2019 Island Series Gulangyu Women’s Run. Runners from all over, both beautiful and strong, hit the road, running towards health.
Among the energetic runners, several mother-daughter pairs participating in the family fun run stood out. Dressed uniformly in running gear sponsored by 361° Kids, their faces beamed with happiness and contentment. Some held hands—mothers and daughters chatting, laughing, and encouraging each other every step of the way; some ran side by side, perfectly in sync, exchanging glances; others took turns leading, one pushing the other forward, all while exchanging greetings... This heartwarming scene of running for love brought a “different” kind of holiday experience to Mother’s Day, enriching the meaning of the She Run women’s race, and presented a unique form of parent-child sports.
“It’s a really worthwhile event. Running in this strong atmosphere of familial love allows children to fully express their nature, giving them a positive, free, and genuine childhood running experience. It helps build close parent-child relationships and promotes healthy, happy growth.” said the organizers of the She Run women’s run. “It’s very memorable!”
With the theme “Attack! Super Moms,” the family fun run segment of the 361° She Run 2019 Island Series Gulangyu Women’s Run kicked off on Mother’s Day to pay tribute to moms and appreciate family bonds. Capturing beautiful moments of mother-daughter runs was intended to offer thanks and unforgettable Mother’s Day memories to all women celebrating the day.
The 3-kilometer-long, one-hour-long She Run Gulangyu Women’s Run family fun run started at the pier, following Gulangyu’s Xin Road, passing by the Colorful Linglong Hotel and Yanwei Mountain Park, and finishing at Neicuoao Pier. Running through Gulangyu—a place where daily liveliness blends with poetic heritage—mother and daughter pairs moved to the rhythm of birdsong, weaving through winding yet historic colonial buildings. With each step, they witnessed life awakening in the early morning light, experiencing the tenderness and tranquility of maternal love.
A staff member from 361° Kids who coordinated the She Run Women’s Family Fun Run on-site shared that mother-daughter pairs are the most special combination in the world. They are simple family members, ordinary moms and daughters, but can also be best friends, inseparable confidantes, and the closest female duo in the world. In her view, the family fun run is more than just a jog—it’s an effort to build closeness between mother and child, to nurture and maintain this special bond, and to create the details that shape a happy future for the child.
After conquering the 3-kilometer route, the “Attack ! Super Moms” parent-child interactive games prepared by 361° Kids for Mother’s Day officially began. Moms put their skills to the test, bravely tackling “five challenges” and earning the title of “Super Mom” with their top-notch abilities.
At the event site, Ms. Zhang, holding her “Super Mom” certificate, exclaimed, “I learned so much with my child!” During the relaxation session after the run, they became excellent athletes together, passing the “Invincible Playmate” challenge; putting on aprons and standing in a designated area, they caught a specified number of food items thrown by their kids using the apron to earn the “Super Chef” title; “The third challenge was the most fun—we all complained together about the struggles of tutoring our kids…” thus becoming a “Hardcore Teacher”; the fourth challenge, widely regarded as “especially useful,” involved learning how to use a standard family first aid kit on-site, and those who passed became “Family Doctors”; the final grand challenge had moms and daughters practicing women’s self-defense techniques under the guidance of a professional coach, thus passing the “Bodyguard” test.
“It was so much fun. My mom is amazing—she excelled as a playmate, chef, teacher, doctor, and bodyguard. Especially during the self-defense practice, her expression was so serious and her moves so precise. She was nothing like the mom who usually jokes around with me!” said Ms. Zhang’s daughter, Miaomiao, giving her mom a thumbs-up as she watched her having a blast.
Encouraging children to grow through sports and nurturing a positive, free, and genuine next generation has always been the brand philosophy advocated by 361° Kids, which is demonstrated through participation in various events. Organizing a unique mother-daughter running experience in a place like Gulangyu, rich in natural beauty and historical significance, goes beyond enjoying the wonders of the world as promoted by She Run—it also offers a meaningful gift for Mother’s Day. As one mother who participated in the mother-daughter run put it: “For me, it’s a rare Mother’s Day memory; for my child, it’s a running experience full of love.”