Starting from the Heart – My First Ever Full Marathon

9Month20Day, I completed my first full marathon in Beijing.42Years old,42.195kilometers — a simple set of numbers, but for me, they carried unique life significance. It was a remarkable journey where the body and spirit fought internally while moving forward together. I crossed the finish line in5hours,36minutes, and41seconds before the deadline. As it was my first full marathon, looking back still fills me with excitement. The pain, the struggle, the passion, and the thrill loop endlessly in my mind. With every step I took toward the finish line, I was also measuring my42years of life. Life is a marathon, and experiencing it firsthand gives that belief even deeper meaning. Thank you to this journey for infusing new strength into the rest of my life, allowing me to walk forward with greater ease.

Starting from the Heart – The heart is in the future, the path lies underfoot.

The anticipation process is actually a preparation process — one that is long yet fulfilling. After deciding to run the Beijing full marathon, I kept to a training routine:5kilometers from Monday to Friday, and10kilometers on weekends. Even in wind, rain, or after exhausting workdays, I forced myself to stick with it. However,9Month19Day, when I arrived in Beijing filled with excitement, I found myself uncertain if I could actually finish the race. So that evening, after meeting with the "pacer rabbits" to go over race details, I shared my concerns. Prior to this, I had only run the half marathon at the Xiamen Marathon. The "rabbits" reassured me, “You ran the Xiamen half marathon in2hours and47minutes, so finishing a full marathon this time won’t be a problem.”

Their sincere encouragement truly eased my nerves and helped me let go of my worries, allowing me to embrace the next day with peace of mind.

9Month20Day early in the morning,5a.m., I got up. After emptying my system, and since I’m not used to milk, I simply ate some bread and eggs with warm water. Then I checked all the gear needed for the full marathon: moisture-wicking shirt, shorts, nutrition supplies, headband, running shoes, wristband, race bib, marathon agreement, and myEZONEzonE1smart sports watch. Once everything was checked, I joined everyone for a quick photo to post on social media as my “gear show,” then headed to the event site.

This time, I got my entry to the Beijing Marathon through a charity slot. Perhaps because of that, my first full marathon felt even more meaningful. What started as a run for myself turned into a run for hope. Sports are usually for oneself, but with the influence of charity, they gain deeper meaning and motivation. This background gave me stronger conviction, making me feel that this marathon wasn't just incredibly meaningful for me — what's more wonderful is that it also holds even more positive significance for those in need.

After a very strict check-in process, I finally reached the actual race site. The charity running group was assigned toHcorridor, and my bib number wasH0383.

Before the starting gun, we followed the warm-up instructor’s movements. The full marathon still felt somewhat unreal to me. But unexpectedly, the national anthem played after the gun went off, and everyone started running while singing the anthem. That moment completely ignited my emotions.

   At the start, I was full of energy and still had the presence of mind to observe my surroundings. Moving along with the crowd down Chang’an Avenue, watching the sweep vehicle slowly follow the runners, I encountered the blind runners who were “running for light,” witnessed the unwavering spirit of the wheelchair racers, and even met Mao Daqing, the former vice president of Vanke, who successfully fought depression through running.

started15kilometers, I ran very comfortably, which I believe was thanks to having a clear understanding of my pace and physical condition before the race.15After kilometers, my heart rate jumped to176, with a pace of7plus. I repeatedly reminded myself not to let my heart rate exceed200, so I took my first energy supplement—eating salt pills and honey capsules to replenish energy, splashing some water on my head to cool down, and then continued running.

By the time I reached21kilometers, my knees began to hurt. I tried hard to relax, asked the staff for a spray, did some treatment, and then set off again.

If the first25kilometers felt like an enjoyment to me, then the section after25kilometers was truly the real challenge I had to face—a challenge, a true test of the limits of my physical and mental endurance.

25After kilometers, even after taking the salt pills and capsules for the second time, my fatigue continued to grow stronger. A series of physical discomforts followed one after another, and I urgently needed to use the bathroom. I began to slow my pace, struggling with whether to keep going. Prior to this, the longest distance I had trained for was only20kilometers. My mental defenses were starting to crumble, but my body didn’t dare stop—I had no choice but to grit my teeth and lift my legs.

By the time I reached30kilometers, I kept seeing people getting into the sweep vehicle, with many young people even lying on the ground. The sweep vehicle, which had been slowly following the crowd, now seemed particularly glaring to me. My body was gradually disconnecting from my consciousness.

To be honest, at that moment, even if I wanted to prevent others from passing me, I actually had no way to stop it. Because if you push yourself too hard at this point, you might end up cramping and unable to finish the race. So I could only watch helplessly as people passed me one by one.

“Can’t you just run one more kilometer?” I encouraged myself internally. At this point, what mattered most to me wasn’t overtaking others, but finishing for myself. Perhaps it was precisely because of this mindset that, even in the most difficult times, I remained calm and managed to hold on until the end.

35After kilometers, I began running alongside people who were going at a similar pace. At this moment, I was parched, yet couldn’t find my company’s supply station, and the water at the roadside hydration points had almost all been drunk by those ahead. I wanted to replenish my energy for the third time, but without water, it was impossible to swallow the thick capsules and salt pills. Out of sheer desperation, I had to ask someone nearby for water—an act that would have been unthinkable for me under normal circumstances.

Only at this moment did I realize how important water is. What you can get at your most desperate moment—even something as cheap as water—can become the best thing in the world. That memory, I will never forget.

When I ran to38kilometers, theEZONsmart sports watchE1on my wrist reminded me that there was very little time left before the cutoff. Meanwhile, a fellow runner who had been beside me earlier was helped to the side of the road by volunteers due to cramping. Seeing his agonized, contorted expression, it seemed as though even the last bit of strength in my body was being drained away by his desperate cries. The noise around me faded, while my mind grew quiet. Listening to the sound of my own heartbeat, I kept telling myself: “If you can't overcome the challenges you anticipate, what will you do when faced with the unexpected?!”

Less than3kilometers from the finish line, I completed my final energy supplement, ran a bit further, and then saw the finish line arch and the faint, moving sea of heads. Victory seemed just within reach. However, by this point, the soles of my feet had reached the point where even the slightest touch of the ground sent a sharp pain through them.

The kilometer marker reminded me that I had less than1kilometers to go. At this moment, if I slowed down and walked, I could still make it to the finish before the cutoff. But if I kept running, I could achieve a better result. This decision wasn’t hard for me—I made it in less than1seconds. I chose to head toward the finish line, continuing to push forward at my current fastest speed. My body was punishing my stubbornness and refusal to give in with pain, but my heart—my heart, which I could feel pounding strongly—was what supported and pulled me forward, relentlessly, all the way to the end.

The moment I crossed the finish line, I thought I would be excited. On the contrary, I felt calm. I checked the time:5hours36minutes41seconds, nearly24minutes faster than expected.

All around me were the roaring cheers of celebration, yet I simply followed the staff’s guidance, continuing to move forward slowly. By the time my breathing gradually calmed down, I wanted to call my partner, but there was no signal. Looking around, there was almost no one I knew nearby.

Suddenly, I felt a bit of loss. When I crossed the finish line, it was just me, silently running through the end. But then I thought, hasn’t it always been said that life is like a marathon? This was just a battle of one’s own, unrelated to anyone else except oneself. Yes, this was a personal war — to conquer fear and challenge oneself. Thinking this way, I continued walking slowly to ease the soreness in my body, printed my results, took photos to post on social media, joined the crowd in celebrating, and even talked with those around me about participating in the Shanghai Marathon again. The full marathon really is addictive.

Coincidentally, I ran into Mao Daqing again, so we invited each other for a photo together, and a fellow runner nearby took the picture for us. After the race, when he uploaded our group photo to his social media, I suddenly realized we had actually known each other within the same circle all along, we just had never met face to face. Perhaps the connections between people are formed through shared passions like these, bringing us together. At that moment, there was no sense of strangeness at all, because those who have run a marathon together are like comrades who have survived a life-and-death battle — especially close. This is the marathon, one of the most genuine forms of human connection and interaction.

Finally, I walked to a quieter corner, found a spot nearby to sit down, and only then did I feel as if my entire body was about to give out. I lay down, merging with the earth. My mind replayed everything that had happened over the past6hours.

    Back at the hotel, I could hardly move, but early the next morning, despite having a slight fever, I forced myself to run another3kilometers to alleviate the physical strain from the previous day’s excessive exercise and to recover my strength as quickly as possible.

    This was my first marathon in life. At the age of42, I completed my first full marathon. Although the process was painful, looking back, it still fills me with pride.

    In a way, running is the repetition of monotonous actions, and isn’t life the same? Running brings you beautiful scenery, moments of physical exhaustion, and times of mental confusion or helplessness. Running is a solitary journey — within your limits, you maintain constant dialogue with the deepest part of your soul. In the struggle against laziness, slackness, and powerlessness, you see yourself, see the world, and see all living beings.

Come on, join the running community. Only when you run farther do you get closest to yourself. The heart is in the distance, the path is under your feet.