Before I became a runner, I never thought I would cross paths with the challenging sport of marathons. For me, running was originally just an attempt to change my lazy lifestyle. However, this run lasted for three years, and it gradually evolved from a simple way of working out to an integral part of my life.

I'm a mass runner with no professional coaches and no great training grounds. Most of my running trajectory revolves around the community. I run four or five days a week, and I can't get enough of it. When I first started running, I was in poor fitness and was out of breath when I could run 3 kilometers a day. But I knew that any change would take a process, so I silently persevered. Over time, my stamina gradually improved, and the distance I ran gradually increased, from 3 km to 7 km a day.

Long-distance training is essential for marathon enthusiasts. After several long distance training sessions of more than 15km, I started to gain some confidence in my half-marathon ability. I remember during a self-test half-marathon, I ran a time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. Although this result may not be outstanding in the eyes of professional runners, it is a great encouragement for a mass runner like me, who trains purely on his own. It made me see my potential and ignited a new goal in my heart – to run a real marathon.

The Hengqin Marathon Half Marathon came into my field of vision. When I decided to sign up, I was both excited and a little nervous. I knew it was going to be a real test for myself and it would be very different from how I usually train on my own. In the period leading up to the competition, I was training harder in the community. I would deliberately simulate the pace of the race, adjust my breathing, and try different running strategies.

Finally, the day of the competition came. Standing on the starting line of the Hengqin Marathon, I looked at the energetic runners around me and felt the excitement of the atmosphere. With a gunshot rang out, the crowd began to surge forward, and I joined in with it and began my first journey.

The scenery on the track kept passing backwards, but I didn't have time to think too much about it, my attention was on my steps and breathing. For the first few kilometres, I felt relatively relaxed and made steady progress at a pace that I had set in advance.

However, as the distance increased, the body began to feel tired. The muscles in his legs felt as heavy as lead, and his breathing became rapid. But I told myself that I couldn't give up, that was what I had been training hard for, and that those days of running lap after lap around the neighborhood couldn't be wasted. I kept cheering myself up in my heart, recalling every time I gritted my teeth in the community and insisted on running a long distance. Hearing the shouts of the spectators on the side of the road and the encouragement of the runners around me kept me uplifted.

The moment I crossed the finish line, I felt a sense of relief and accomplishment that I had never felt before. I stood there almost exhausted, sweat soaking through my clothes. At this moment, I received a notification of the results of the race on my phone, 2 hours, 09 minutes and 06 seconds. The moment I saw this result, I felt an unexpected surprise. This score is quite an improvement from the 2 hours and 30 minutes I used to self-test, and I couldn't believe my eyes.

At that moment, I felt that all the hard work of training and the exhaustion on the track was worth it. Those days of running alone in the community, those countless moments when I wanted to give up but persevered, have turned into joy at this moment. Running is not only a kind of exercise, it is also a kind of self-learning and cultivation. Through running, I learned self-discipline and how to maintain a strong belief in the face of exhaustion and difficulties.

The past three years of running have been a testament to my hard work and continuous challenge to myself. I went from being a person of average physical fitness and lack of perseverance to a runner who was able to complete a half marathon. This transformation is not only physical, but also mental. Running taught me that if you are willing to put in the effort and dare to push your limits, you will be able to achieve unexpected results.

My first horse experience is like a precious gift, a gift from hard work. It will motivate me to keep running in the days to come, to challenge more goals, to push my limits.

Whether it's on the road of running or in other aspects of life, I believe that as long as you keep working hard and hard, nothing is unattainable. Every step taken, every drop of sweat, is writing their own growth story, and this story will continue to continue, full of infinite possibilities.

Contributed by:

Chen Qiucong

52 years old, amateur runner

Hengqin Marathon Half Marathon participant