Badminton online clubs, outdoor hiking QQ groups, football buddies' WeChat groups... In many large and medium-sized cities, getting together to exercise through various “circles” has become a major feature of national fitness. In these fitness circles, people passionate about a certain sport meet up for activities, trust one another, and improve together, gradually forming a new way of exercising and living. So why have these fitness circles formed? What do they usually do? And what results have they achieved? Starting today, this section launches a series of reports titled “Focusing on Urban Fitness Circles” to answer these questions.
From his home near Gongzhufen to his workplace close to Baishiqiao, just over a year ago, the 4.3-kilometer journey was, in Lu Zhenyu’s life, sometimes three subway stops, sometimes a half-hour bus ride, or, on mornings when he overslept, even a 20-plus-yuan taxi fare. But all that changed completely at the beginning of 2013. One morning in January, Lu made a bold decision for himself: “I’m going to commute by ‘Route 11 (i.e., walking or running on two legs).’”
To Lu’s surprise, there were actually quite a few like-minded friends around him. He quickly went from being a “lone ranger” to a “member of an organized group,” and his running routes extended beyond his commute to places like Olympic Forest Park — running “holy lands,” where countless “running groups” gather.
In fact, over the past couple of years, running organizations across the country have sprung up like mushrooms, and marathon registrations have repeatedly broken records, with many participants being office workers and “white-collar newcomers” just like Lu Zhenyu. This simplest and oldest of sports has regained vitality among young people.
The most suitable sport for the “slightly overweight crowd”
Like many others, Lu Zhenyu’s initial motivation for running was weight loss, and like even more, he quickly got hooked. From the original 4.3 kilometers during his commute to gradually extending to 10,000 meters, and then completing his first full marathon in Chongqing last March, he found he had no reason to stop.
“Actually, I didn’t really like running at first; it was just that there weren’t any other good ways to lose weight,” Lu said. During college, he tried joining the soccer team in his department, and even represented the departmental team in a university badminton competition, but all ended without success. “Team sports like soccer and basketball basically don’t welcome us ‘slightly overweight folks.’ Our teammates didn’t say it outright, but we also felt embarrassed about holding them back,” Lu joked.
But once Lu found his “little running group,” his perspective changed. “Our team is made up of ‘slightly overweight’ runners like me, all aiming to lose weight. In other sports, we’re not very popular, but in our own group, everyone is equal — it doesn’t matter if you run fast or slow, we’re all pretty much in the same boat.”
They even found their own “advantage” in running. “Have you heard of the ‘urinating against the red wall’ incident at the Beijing Marathon?” Lu asked. During the 2013 Beijing Marathon, “finding a toilet” was a challenge for many runners, but the “slightly overweight” runners came up with a clever trick. “Basically, you take the sponge, wring out the water, and sneakily stuff it into your pants. After you’re done, you toss it in the trash when no one’s looking,” Lu explained. “It’s an old trick, but our ‘plus-size’ clothes are looser, so it’s less likely to be noticed.”
“Running isn’t necessarily the most fun sport, but it’s the one that suits us best,” Lu said. Perhaps that’s why, despite having slimmed down from 95 kilograms to 80 kilograms, he and his fellow “slightly overweight” running partners haven’t stopped.
Becoming a new way to socialize
Compared to Lu Zhenyu, who quietly works at a state-owned enterprise, singer and actress Tian Yuan, who also loves running, is far better known. She not only participated in the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco in 2010, but in September 2013, she also founded a running group called “Born to Run,” which has gained considerable fame among numerous grassroots running organizations. “Making dinner plans is no longer fun; everyone now treats running as a way to hang out,” Tian said.
Tian Yuan represents an emerging trend: more and more young women are joining the ranks of runners. On June 17, 2012, a 5-kilometer women’s road race organized by Nike at Olympic Forest Park attracted 5,000 running enthusiasts, over 50% of whom were young women under 25, and more than 80% were under 30.
Lin Lin is a teacher at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and also a “river jogger.” The term “river jogging” refers to running along the Pearl River, and when she decided to run at Baiyun Mountain, she became a “White Trail rookie.” Twenty-eight-year-old Fan Fengjuan, who works at a major state-owned bank in Shenzhen, completed her first full marathon after just 10 months of running, and has since improved her time to around 3 hours. Basketball star Kobe Bryant, known for his grueling training, said he knows what 4 a.m. in Los Angeles looks like every day, while Fan is especially familiar with the streets of Shenzhen at the same hour. “Getting up at 4 a.m. to run makes you the master of the road,” she says. Actress Cai Wenjing is also fond of “night running,” which she describes as giving her body a “screen refresh.”
These female runners come from different places and have different careers, but they are all members of the Nike Running Club and share the same passion for running. There was a time when getting students, especially female students, to participate in sports was probably considered an “impossible mission” for many PE teachers. Nowadays, more and more young women are putting on running shoes and stepping out of their homes, drawn by the sheer appeal of running itself.
Everyone is equal at the starting line
“Except for marathons, there is no other sport in the world that allows people of all ages and genders to participate together, or that allows ordinary people and world champions to stand at the same starting line,” said Lamine Diack, President of World Athletics.
The same can be said for all road running events. Amid the current running craze, much attention has been focused on the most visible benefits of running, such as “how running relieves stress” or “how running strengthens the body.” However, the “equality” that Diack spoke of — regarding the physical and mental benefits of running — is rarely recognized.
Lu Zhenyu, who briefly tried soccer, felt a strange sense of nervousness while playing. This was partly due to his lack of skill, but more because he felt out of place on the field. “When the ball was at my feet, I had to pass it quickly to the team’s key player rather than make the move I wanted to make.” But in a running group, there are no superstars or bench players, and height or weight makes no difference. Female runners also don’t have to play a supporting role for male runners, as is common in many other sports.
As long as you’re willing to sign up for a marathon, anyone can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the top athletes and compete. This sense of equality is often hard to notice in daily life, but it’s rare across various sports. Some say running brings the purest joy — could this be one of the reasons why?