Running against all odds

Today, though retired, her life seems busier than ever. She trains in the mountains weekly with friends, competes abroad, makes handicrafts at home, grows grapes, makes wine, plays badminton with her grandchildren — an 11-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy — and even does planks with them.

Her schedule is packed, yet she handles it all with ease.

At the UTMB finish line in Chamonix, she has often seen many international runners crossing the line with their families, and she feels that this vibe of involving the whole family in sports is truly impressive.

Whenever possible, she brings her own daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren to participate in races together. This past spring, she took her two young grandchildren to join a parent-child 6-kilometer race in Yanqing district.

Now one of the longest-active amateur trail runners on the Chinese mainland, Xing has no plans to stop.

"Although I'm getting older and my stamina isn't what it used to be, I still want to compete with runners my age from other countries. As long as I can run, I want to keep running," she says.