The female Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, Jin Hongyun, reached the finish line near Santa Monica Beach.
According to the US-based Chinese newspaper Qiao Bao, Jin Hongyun, a Chinese-American TCM doctor who has participated in the Los Angeles International Marathon for five consecutive years, ran the race in 3 hours and 16 minutes on the morning of the 9th. Now 60 years old, Jin has aged another year, but her athletic activity has not decreased. She is planning to fulfill a wish from her younger years by running a marathon of over 26 miles in under 3 hours as soon as possible.
Jin Hongyun, who has lived in the United States for nearly 20 years, has consistently participated in the Los Angeles International Marathon for the past five years. Her best time over that period was 3 hours and 11 minutes last year, which was her best performance in five years. She had originally planned to achieve an even better result this year, setting a goal of 3 hours and 5 minutes, but she fell short.
Jin Hongyun said that during this race, she maintained a pace of under 8 minutes per mile and had expected a good result. She first participated in the Los Angeles International Marathon in 2010, finishing in 3 hours and 30 minutes. She also competed in the marathon at the Senior Olympics, where she finished in 3 hours and 19 minutes.
"Running a marathon in under 3 hours was a wish I had when I was younger." To achieve this, Jin Hongyun has been training hard. "Due to a busy work schedule, minor health issues, and the impact of daylight saving time changes, I wasn’t able to achieve my goal this time." However, Jin also saw her progress in the race, which had 25,000 participants: she didn’t experience leg cramps during the entire course, which she attributes to continuously taking electrolyte tablets along the way.
Entering her sixties, Jin Hongyun competed in the 60–64 age group at the Los Angeles International Marathon for the first time this year and won first place in that age category. Although she has aged another year, in order to realize her youthful dream, Jin trains every day, increasing her workout intensity on weekends—often running more than 22 miles on Saturdays.
Jin Hongyun, who was once an outstanding athlete in China’s National Women’s Triathlon competitions when she was younger, said that the first thing she does every morning after waking up is to go for a run, covering a distance of 8 to 14 miles. She said that running is the best health insurance plan—it can save a lot of money, so why not do it?
"Going for a run every morning is my medicine," Jin Hongyun said. Running can also help regulate emotions and give one a positive feeling. She hopes to keep running until she’s 80, "and keep going until the day I can’t anymore."
Jin Hongyun also often encourages her family and friends to take up long-distance running. Encouraged by her, her daughter ran her first marathon last year, and the difference in their finishing times was exactly one hour. Jin suggests that those who take up long-distance running should set goals based on their individual conditions: "Two years ago, a 90-year-old person still participated in the Los Angeles International Marathon, but some people, although young, may not be suited for high-intensity training."