On October 20, at the Beijing International Marathon, Ethiopian runner Woldgabrel broke the event record to win the men’s championship, while Chinese runner Zhang Yingying claimed the women’s title.
The alarm rang at 4:30 a.m. for Chai Yu, who lives in Beijing’s Zhichunli area. He 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 year participating in the Beijing Marathon. Having started with a 5K and later progressing to a half marathon, Chai Yu had “struggled through” his runs. Today, he would face the first full marathon distance of his life—42.195 kilometers.
“What you eat in the morning actually matters a lot. First, you should eat as early as possible to leave time for digestion and elimination, and then you should eat carbohydrates. Even though I usually avoid carbs because they turn into sugar, marathons rely on them in the end. I didn’t used to pay much attention to these details. I’d just get up, wash up, and head out, eating a banana or drinking a nutrition supplement on the way. But now I’m very mindful of 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 admiration for myself.” “To be honest, the farthest I’d run before was 32 kilometers, but I was determined to complete 42 kilometers this year’s Beijing Marathon because I’m capable of it.”
Chai Yu is 38 years old and works as a freelancer. Though he doesn’t earn much working in Beijing and is usually frugal, he never skimps when buying running gear. “A multifunctional heart rate-monitoring watch costs over 1,000 yuan, a professional compression suit that helps stabilize muscles and improve blood circulation costs over 1,000 yuan, and running shoes also cost over 1,000 yuan—I go through about two pairs a year. The stuff is a bit expensive, but I love it. Because running has become a part of my life.” Chai Yu said, “I run four times a week. On weekends, I usually do a long run of 30 kilometers in 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’m not fast—about 10 kilometers per hour.”
For Chai Yu, running is not only a way to stay physically fit but also a form of “compensation” for his mental state. “If I feel like I haven’t done anything meaningful all day, or if what I did wasn’t worthwhile, then I treat running 10 kilometers as a meaningful task. Just doing this one meaningful thing makes me feel content with the day.”
Xie Bin, who is 10 years younger than Chai Yu, is even more “crazy”—previously achieving a personal best (PB) of around 3 hours and 20 minutes in full marathons, today Xie Bin ran a PB of 2 hours and 54 minutes, and his excitement almost made him forget his fatigue.
“I’m just a very ordinary person. I work in computer information management at a company in Suzhou, usually quite ‘homebody,’ and still single. Last April, I ran a half marathon in Suzhou, and then I couldn’t stop. In the second half of last year, I set a goal to complete four full marathons (Shanghai Marathon, Hangzhou Marathon, Beijing Marathon, Xiamen Marathon). My life is too plain, with no ups and downs. I need to do more thinking while running. It’s something I can experience firsthand. I’ve even tried ultramarathons of 100 kilometers. The only thing I was sure of during that race was that not finishing would feel worse than finishing.” When talking about his running story, Xie Bin doesn’t sound like an “introverted” young man at all. “I like being my own hero. Running a marathon is a process of strengthening the inner self.”
In pursuit of inner strength, Xie Bin had to take a round-trip train between Suzhou and Beijing this weekend. Coupled with two nights’ accommodation at a small Beijing hotel, Xie Bin spent about 1,000 yuan on his second full Beijing Marathon. “I’m not wealthy, and plane tickets are too expensive, so I bought train tickets—it’s worth it. Especially entering the final stretch (the Olympic Forest Park Celebration Plaza), the almost worship-like enthusiasm everyone has for running gave me a strong sense of belonging.”
Examples like Chai Yu and Xie Bin are countless. Running has entered their once-ordinary lives and begun influencing their ways of thinking. That’s why they choose to run full marathons to test whether their lives are “more meaningful.” According to reports, 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 distance has increased exponentially.
“Next year we’ll consider increasing the number of full marathon slots. Because the total number of slots is limited, we may need to appropriately reduce the registration numbers for mini marathons and half marathons,” a staff member of the Beijing Marathon organizing committee told reporters. “Now the Beijing Marathon is the highest-level marathon event in China, an IAAF Gold Label race. The core philosophy of the event is to let everyone experience the ‘pride of sports,’ to let them feel the sense of achievement from healthy exercise. This is also the cultural value of the marathon itself. In fact, seeing more and more middle-aged and young people becoming the mainstream of the full marathon over the past two years, we also feel our work is very meaningful to society.”
Even girls like Zhao Na and Liu Jiaojiao, who “never liked sports as kids and would definitely vomit after running 800 meters in PE tests,” have started 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 completing the full marathon, my legs were so sore I couldn’t stand, but this year I felt particularly relaxed after finishing because I don’t chase speed. The overall feeling afterward was wonderful.” “Running is a form of spiritual practice—inner peace, clear thinking.” Liu Jiaojiao from the “Hupu Sisters Group” is a “white-collar worker.” She first participated in the half marathon of the Beijing Marathon in 2005 while studying at Peking University. Later this month, she’s going to Japan to prepare for the Osaka Marathon. “Running is like mental yoga for me. When my feet touch the road, I always feel a sense of the earth seeping into my blood. It’s utterly fascinating.”
“The Beijing Marathon is 33 years old this year. I feel the qualitative change in the Beijing Marathon began in 2010, when a dedicated event company took over its operation and promotion. The effect has been very obvious. The changes in the past four years have been nothing short of 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, “There are now over 30 official marathon events across the country. According to incomplete statistics, there are nearly 10 million runners. What a huge group. When the physical condition of this group reaches a new level, the spirit of the Chinese people may present a different face.”