Going the distance

An increasing number of Chinese runners travel away to join various marathons staged at home and abroad, as running has been picked up by many as a fashion of lifestyle and attitude. [Photo provided to China Daily]

He decided to organize his own competitions after participating in various events, which helped him accumulate experience in marathon management.

"I want to host my own competitions to let more people enjoy the sport," he says, adding that a competition gives runners a goal and can stimulate their interest in running.

The specially-enclosed tracks, food and a certificate are among the perks and enticement for runners, although only a minority of them win any financial reward.

Wang, who has held six marathons this year－four in Beijing, one in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, and one in Chengdu, Sichuan province－says: "Runners are getting younger and are wealthier."

Business school students and employees are also joining marathons these days.

"But most runners are local residents, and 95 percent of marathon runners stay the course and finish the race," he says.

Each of Wang's competition usually draws 1,000-3,000 competitors and can be fully booked in a week, quite different from earlier times.

"Then it was hard for us to recruit 1,000 people even if we advertised two months earlier."

Persistence

But despite all the charm of a marathon, one needs persistence to find beauty in the sport.

Wu Jixia used to question herself a lot in the initial phases of her training.

She could hardly run two kilometers at that time.

"I practically ran one kilometer and then walked the other, and my lungs felt like they were going to explode," she says.

It was encouragement from her runner friends that kept her going.

As time went by, she worked her way up to 5,000 meters and then 10,000, and finally became a regular marathon runner, who interprets the marathon spirit as "challenging oneself, overcoming limits and being persistent".