Chinese runners go the distance

Tian Tongsheng (center, holding flag) poses with marathon runners from China after the New York race. Photos Provided to China Daily

Philanthropy

Ball of Yarn member Zhou Wei, chairman of the Beijing Shichuang Shengye Elevator Co, used to be a golf lover, but now he's a running fanatic. "I didn't bring my golf bag here. I bring my running shoes wherever I go. I even put them in my carry-on bag to make sure they are protected," he said.

The club donates money to schools in poor rural areas, and so far, it has helped 11 middle schools to build running tracks and other sports facilities.

Local running groups have sprung up across the country, too. Hangzhou Marathon Running Club, in the capital of Zhejiang province, is a nonprofit organization that helps locals to learn about running and train for races. To become a member, one has to provide proof of good health, and agree to run the required monthly distance - 50 km for men and 30 for women.

The club holds regular group running events and training sessions before major marathon races. This year, 67,000 people applied to run the Hangzhou marathon, which only has places for 30,000 runners.

Runners who fail to register have other opportunities, though. There have been about 40 marathons in Zhejiang alone this year.

"We are all volunteers," said Wu Zifu, chairman of the club and CEO of Dunan Holding Group. "We are all equal on a platform like this, and volunteers can communicate with each other and make new friends while doing something very meaningful."

This time Wu came to New York it was to finish the last of the six world marathon majors. His daughter was there to cheer for him.

"My dad drinks so much less often since he started running," she said. Asked if her father has changed in other ways, she replied, "He's better at shopping now. He can shop in a sports store for hours."

Running for culture

Running in a different country means more than just the physical act itself, Tian said. "I run for culture. When running the Athens Marathon, I could feel the history of 2,500 years and tried to figure out what a marathon really is. When running in Berlin, I knew we were crossing the Berlin Wall. We ran for peace. At New York, I learned about the relationship between the marathon and 9-11. We ran to honor the lost."

Palace Travel's Wang Qi said many Chinese runners love marathons overseas because they are better organized and have a better atmosphere. "Chinese marathons have been improving, but there is still a long way to go," he said. "And at these major marathon events, the spectators cheer for everyone."

"When I ran, they shouted, 'Go, China!'" said Li Xiaobai, who carries a national flag to every international race. "Everyone cheers for us."

While most nonprofessionals run for health and fun, Ma Hongliang, 47, runs for the result because competitors get no money just for "fun".

He started running in his small town of Chuxiong, Yunnan province, when he was 17. Every day, he gets up at 5 am and runs regardless of the weather. He just runs, like Forrest Gump.

When Ma was age 38, he took his family to Shenzhen, Guangdong province, where he competed in the marathon because a coach he met while running told him that he had talent. It was his first marathon, his first time away from his small city. He finished 122nd.

"In Singapore, when I ran toward the finish line, the host said, 'This is the first Asian runner we have seen. He is Chinese, from Chuxiong in Yunnan,' and I cried," he said. "That's the first time I felt that I'm running for China," he said. Now, he drapes the national flag across his shoulders every marathon.

"Because I don't speak English, and the New York City Marathon is rather complicated, I bought the Marathon package," he said. "We don't have much money, but my wife said she will support me as long as we still have money to live a life. I keep thinking that every second I'm here costs a lot of money. It makes me cherish it more."

"We want to show that not all Chinese come to gamble in Las Vegas. Not everyone comes to buy bags. We are here to pursue a healthy life. We run. We carry our national flag," he said. "There used to be 'ping-pong diplomacy'; now we want marathon communication. I hope that soon we will see 1,000 Chinese runners participating in the New York City Marathon."