On October 20th, at the Beijing International Marathon, Ethiopian runner Worknesh Degefa broke the event record to win the men's championship, while Chinese runner Zhang Yingying claimed the women's title.
At 4:30 a.m., the alarm went off. Chai Yu, who lives in Beijing’s Zhichunli area, got up and ate a bowl of noodles, an egg, and two slices of bread, then left at 5:30 a.m.—he was heading to Tiananmen Square to run in the Beijing Marathon, which started at 8:00 a.m. This was Chai Yu’s fifth Beijing Marathon. Starting with a 5K and later progressing to a half marathon, Chai had “struggled through” each race. Today, he was facing his first full marathon—42.195 kilometers.
“What you eat in the morning actually matters. First, you should eat as early as possible to allow time for digestion and elimination, and second, it should be carbohydrates. Even though I usually avoid carbs because they break down into sugar, they’re what fuel you at the end of a marathon. I didn’t used to pay much attention to these details—I’d just get up, wash up, and head out, snacking on a banana or drinking an energy drink along the way. But now I’m very conscious about my diet, even in daily life. I’ve also been smoke-free and alcohol-free for three years.” In the end, Chai Yu finished in 4 hours and 35 minutes, earning “my own self-respect.” “Honestly, the farthest I’d run before was 32 kilometers, but I was determined to complete the full 42 this year at the Beijing Marathon because I felt ready.”
Chai Yu is 38 years old and a freelancer. Though he doesn’t earn much working in Beijing and is generally frugal, he never hesitates to spend on running gear. “A multifunctional heart rate monitor watch costs over 1,000 yuan, a professional compression shirt that helps stabilize muscles and boost circulation is also over 1,000 yuan, and running shoes are another 1,000 yuan—I go through about two pairs a year. The gear is a bit expensive, but I love it. Running has become a part of my life.” Chai said, “I run four times a week. On weekends, I usually do a long run of 30 kilometers at Olympic Forest Park, and on weekdays, I run 10 kilometers on the road or at a university track. A weekly total of 60 kilometers suits me well, and I don’t run very fast—about 10 kilometers per hour.”
For Chai Yu, running isn’t just about physical fitness—it’s also “compensation” for his mental state. “If I feel like I haven’t accomplished anything meaningful all day, I treat a 10K run as something worthwhile. Just doing that one thing makes me feel satisfied with the day.”
Xie Bin, ten years younger than Chai Yu, is even more “extreme”—previously achieving a personal best of around 3 hours and 20 minutes in full marathons, Xie ran a personal record (PB) of 2 hours and 54 minutes today, excitement almost making him forget his fatigue.
“I’m just an ordinary person. I work in IT management at a company in Suzhou, live a pretty ‘homebody’ life, and am still single. Last April, I ran a half marathon in Suzhou, and then I just couldn’t stop. In the second half of last year, I set myself the goal of completing four full marathons (Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing, and Xiamen). My life is too plain, with no ups and downs. I need to do more thinking while running—that’s something I can actively engage in. I’ve even tried a 100-kilometer trail run. The only thing I was certain of during that race was that not finishing would feel worse than finishing.” When talking about his running story, Xie Bin didn’t sound like an “introverted” young man at all. “I like being my own hero. Running a marathon is a process of strengthening your inner self.”
To pursue that inner strength, Xie Bin had to take a round-trip train between Suzhou and Beijing this weekend. Add in two nights at a small Beijing hotel, and Xie spent about 1,000 yuan on his second Beijing Marathon. “I’m not rich—the flight tickets are too expensive, so I bought train tickets. It’s worth it, especially when you reach the final stretch (the Olympic Forest Park Celebration Plaza). The almost worshipful enthusiasm everyone has for running gives me such a strong sense of belonging.”
There are countless examples like Chai Yu and Xie Bin. Running has entered their once-ordinary lives and begun to influence their ways of thinking, which is why they choose to run a full marathon to test whether their lives have become “more meaningful.” According to reporters, this year’s Beijing Marathon had 30,000 athlete slots, 15,000 of which were allocated to full marathon runners. Compared to last year’s 12,000 full marathon slots, the number of runners able to complete the 42.195-kilometer course has more than doubled.
“Next year, we’ll consider increasing the number of full marathon slots. Since the total number of slots is limited, we may have to appropriately reduce the registration numbers for the mini marathon and half marathon,” a staff member of the Beijing Marathon organizing committee told reporters. “Now, the Beijing Marathon is the highest-level marathon event in the country, an IAAF Gold Label race. The core philosophy of the event is to let everyone experience the ‘pride of sports,’ to feel the sense of achievement from healthy exercise, and that’s also the cultural value of the marathon itself. In fact, seeing more and more middle-aged and young people becoming the mainstay of the full marathon over the past two years, we also feel that our work is very meaningful to society.”
Even girls like Zhao Na and Liu Jiaojiao, who “never liked sports as kids and would definitely throw up after an 800-meter PE test,” are using full marathons to add some fun to their lives. Zhao Na, who graduated from university in 2008, finished today’s race in 5 hours and 25 minutes. “Last year, after running a full marathon, my legs were so sore I could barely stand, but this year, I felt particularly relaxed afterward because I didn’t chase speed. The overall feeling afterward was wonderful.” “Running is like meditation—your mind becomes calm, your thoughts clearer.” Liu Jiaojiao, a “white-collar worker” and member of the “Hupu Sisters Group,” first participated in the half marathon at the Beijing Marathon in 2005 while studying at Peking University. Later this month, she’s heading to Japan to run the Osaka Marathon. “Running is like mental yoga for me. When my feet are on the road, I always feel like the earth is seeping into my blood—it’s absolutely fascinating.”
“The Beijing Marathon is 33 years old this year. I feel its qualitative change started in 2010, when a professional event company took over its operation and promotion. The effect has been very noticeable. The changes in the past four years have been earth-shaking, even comparable to the accumulation of the previous 30 years. Hundreds of thousands of families—parents and children alike—have fallen in love with running. Running has completely become a mass fitness sport.” A staff member of the Beijing Marathon organizing committee said, “Now there are over 30 official marathons across the country. According to incomplete statistics, the number of running enthusiasts is close to 10 million. That’s such a huge group. When the physical condition of this group reaches a new level, the spirit of our nation may also present a different face.”