Running against all odds
Two Chinese women, aged 49 and 62, are defying age and expectations on the racecourse, Xing Wen reports.
Defying age and expectations, 49-year-old An Yaping surged across the finish line of the 10-kilometer Run Girls race. For the second year in a row, she claimed victory, completing the scenic course along Beijing's Ming Tombs Reservoir in just 38 minutes.
The women-only event, a highlight of the Beijing Olympic City Sports and Cultural Festival, offers more than competition. In this year's edition, held earlier this month, professional stylists pampered participants with beauty services, while each finisher received a custom-designed medal and a fresh bouquet of flowers.
"Since all the participants are female, I feel more relaxed and find it easier to maintain my own pace. In mixed races, my rhythm often gets disrupted by male runners who overtake me, and I would feel compelled to speed up," says An.
An's life today seems far removed from her days as an overworked HR professional. Endless administrative tasks and complicated workplace dynamics once left her exhausted at the end of each day. To clear her mind, in 2021 she began jogging alone in the Olympic Forest Park near her home.
