"This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. I hope this competition will allow the French to see the new face of Chinese seniors," said Li Zhanzhe earnestly. On March 29, 61-year-old Li Zhanzhe from Hunan will set off from Changsha to France to participate in the Paris International Marathon on April 6. Li Zhanzhe is also the oldest Chinese participant in this race.
After retiring, Li Zhanzhe has participated in multiple marathons, including internationally renowned events such as those in Tokyo, New York, and Boston. Regarding his target time for the Paris Marathon, Li Zhanzhe explained: "I hope to run around 3 hours and 40 minutes. My goal for this Paris race is to stay under 4 hours again and lay a solid foundation for the Berlin Marathon later this year." He also revealed: "Ten local Chinese people in Paris have already contacted me. They want to run this race with me. This year's Paris Marathon has over 38,000 participants from more than 60 countries and regions, but not many of them are Chinese."