On April 13, more than 14,000 participants from both China and abroad set off from Changsha to hike across the three cities of Changsha, Zhuzhou, and Xiangtan, embarking on a two-day “100-Kilometer Endurance Walk.” On the afternoon of the 14th, the participants reached the finish line at the Zhuzhou Sports Center. According to the event organizers, this year’s 100-Kilometer Endurance Walk attracted over 14,000 registrants, making it the largest edition in the history of the event.
At 6 a.m. on the 13th, participants began setting off one after another from Yanghu Wetland Park. Following the Xiang River and passing by the Xiangtan Sports Center, they hiked approximately 100 kilometers to reach the event’s final destination, the Zhuzhou Sports Center.
“When he knelt in front of me to propose, with our friends there to witness, I felt that this 100-kilometer walk had finally come full circle,” said Zhang Lujia, a participant in the 100-Kilometer Endurance Walk. What touched her most about the event was “the way we supported each other along the way, never giving up or abandoning one another. That will be our life motto.”
Jiang An, head of the 100-Kilometer Endurance Walk organizing committee, explained that “Hunan 100 Kilometers” will have a fixed annual theme going forward. This year’s theme is “Walk Together for a Lifetime.” It provides an online platform for participants interested in making friends or finding hiking companions to showcase their personalities and friendship-seeking intentions. He stated that through a mass-participation event like the Hunan 100 Kilometers, participants can not only experience a rare life journey but also raise awareness among the people of Hunan about the mother river Xiangjiang, wetlands, and environmental issues concerning their homeland. In this way, both “small love” and “great love” are vividly embodied in the Hunan 100 Kilometers event.