Running against all odds

According to the Chinese Athletics Association, 749 road-running events were held across China in 2024, drawing a total of 7.05 million participants, an increase of one million from the previous year.

On the racecourse of Run Girls, another figure drew admiration: 62-year-old Xing Ruling, a retired nurse with short hair and a wide smile. Participants lined up eagerly to take photos with Xing, a frequent podium finisher in trail-running competitions both in China and abroad.

Xing's story began in Wayao village, in the mountainous northwest of Changping district. As a child, she would often carry a sickle and roam the nearby hills with her classmates to dig up medicinal herbs, which they sold to support their families.

These days, she still carries the sickle but wears trail-running gear, using the blade to carve out new paths for her daily runs.

"I've run all over the mountains near where I live now," says Xing.