Have you ever wondered when a person can become their true self? Each of us is born unique and irreplaceable. Those who run truly love running; the marathon merely provides everyone an opportunity to prove themselves. And this proof is not for others to see—we prove only our own happiness, and the self that is happy because of independence.
"Ten Years"
Ten years ago, I didn't know you, you didn't belong to me, we were still the same... Right now, I'm listening to Eason Chan's "Ten Years." I know this song has nothing to do with what I'm about to express—it's just the literal meaning. But every time before I write, I always like to find some emotion for myself first...
Never Forget Where You Came From
If you ask me now how I fell into this "pit" of marathons back then? I truly can't answer. If I must say—it was simply inexplicable!
October 16, 2016, was an ordinary yet special day in my life. Ordinary because a curious attempt wasn't much different from trying other things I'd never touched. Special because it became a profoundly meaningful starting point, the beginning of a path that would take me to another track in life over the next ten years, like the resounding whistle of a ship about to set sail. At that time, I was neither a gear junkie nor an elite runner—just one of the countless ordinary runners. My equipment was simple and plain; the training shoes on my feet were issued by the military, and my running clothes weren't carefully selected like they are now. With longing and curiosity for the marathon, I stood on the starting line of the Nanjing Marathon...
Like scrolling through Moments, I clearly remember that the weather that day was terrible—overcast, cold, and humid. When the starting gun fired, the crowd surged like a tide, and I was a lonely leaf in that massive flood. The cheers of spectators along the starting straight rose and fell, but what lingered in my ears was only my own rapid breathing and pounding heartbeat. Although I had developed a love for sports after enlisting, a full marathon seemed as impossible as jumping to reach the ceiling—I had never run farther than 8 kilometers before. In the latter half of the race, each step weighed down my legs, but the defiant refusal to give up only blazed stronger within me. Running "alone" on the course, gazing at the endless yet familiar Jiangdong Expressway ahead, every tug at the limit of my stamina was a deep conversation with my inner self. That was a journey belonging to one person; every drop of sweat witnessed my earliest love and persistence for running.
Since then, running was no longer just a training session from my military days, nor merely a pastime in life—it became my unique way of exploring the world. From that year on, I truly couldn't stop running, like every ordinary runner running with passion. Ten years of marathon time has left deep marks on my life. Over this decade, I completed 29 full marathons and 11 half marathons, with footprints in many cities across the country, and last March I was promoted to a China Marathon Majors finisher. Listing so many numbers isn't to emphasize how amazing I am, but to remind myself: never forget where you came from.
This Is Fog City—Rise Up, All!
Chongqing—"Chong" means reunion, "qing" means celebration. I've been to Chongqing several times, and the first time I heard this explanation of the city's name, I loved it very much.
My love and hate for the Chongqing Marathon. The love is simple—reuniting with Chongqing again, running the Chongqing Marathon for the second time, a successful revenge, smoothly breaking three hours for a PB, and taking home the little golden man. The hate is complex—one year ago, no, ten months ago, at the very same starting point, in that same mountain city, between those same two rivers, the Yangtze and the Jialing—the 2025 Chongqing Marathon. Starting from Corral D, chasing time all the way, cramping after the big hill at 36K, ultimately finishing in 3:03 and missing the little golden man. One winter's training was satisfying, but didn't meet expectations—a regretful defeat! Suddenly I thought of this year's Xtep slogan for Chongqing—CQ Expects to Go Further! That's right, 2026, expect what you expect to expect.
Ten thousand horses galloping, running Chongqing, loving Chongqing. In the blink of an eye, it was early 2026. When I once again stood on the starting line of the Chongqing Marathon, this time, the faces around me were no longer all strangers, but a group of like-minded friends. We once ran laps together, clocked in together, and planned various races together. Although the main purpose wasn't the race, but the gathering. At this moment, we stood together on this course that was both familiar and strange to me. Compared to the scene of racing alone ten years ago, the moment of meeting friends at the finish line now seemed especially warm. Together we held up our finisher medals and sub-3 trophies, encouraging each other, sweat and smiles intertwined, becoming the most beautiful memory of this winter. A jianghu after a grand dream awakens—we'll see each other at the peak! CQ city! Rise up!
Rush Out! Your Own Tunnel of Self-Strengthening!
What impressed me most about this race was that very long tunnel. I call it the Tunnel of Self-Strengthening! Whenever I simply chat with fellow runners about race results, I always like to tell them: if you don't break through that barrier yourself, you'll never get past it! On race day, when I successfully charged through that long tunnel twice, I had a special feeling in an instant—today, I broke through my own Tunnel of Self-Strengthening!
While riding the river-crossing cable car, looking at the converging waters of the two rivers, I calmly thought: if I hadn't cramped on last year's Chongqing Marathon course, if I hadn't been in Corral D, would I have gotten the little golden man? Perhaps, meeting a little later isn't so bad. Just like this cable car right now—although I've been to Chongqing many times, every time I missed the river-crossing cable car I'd longed for, until this time. Some encounters are the best arrangements... Many times, for many races, you don't necessarily need to win the lottery; when we've trained well enough, it will come naturally. Just like what the commander of Team 702 and Xu Sanduo said: "Between wanting and getting, there are two more words: doing."
Clarity After Disillusionment
First marathon of the new year, finishing in 2:54:12. This is my finisher medal, my finisher poncho, and my sub-3 trophy. Winter training was halfway through; this was a test of my mid-winter training. After last season ended, I was very clear about where the problems lay, and I carried out targeted training according to plan. To get such a result, I accepted it gladly. From 5:34 to 2:54, drawing a perfect full stop for my first marathon decade.
I thank running; it gave me health. It pulled back the sub-healthy me from ten years ago. It let me know there is a lifestyle called running. Around the end of the year, I saw many runners posting before-and-after comparison photos. Many people truly underwent a transformative change, including me. I thank the marathon, I thank my marathon decade—it took me to see so much of the wonderful world. The places I've been in these years outnumber the total of all the previous decades. The marathon is also a spiritual practice. I don't care if others say it's healthy or not; I don't care if others say I'm fast or slow. Those who talk about marathons all day long, to put it bluntly, just lack the courage to challenge. Your narrow perspective prevents you from embracing scientific training. You'd rather dwell on the occasional collapse on the race course, while turning those who give everything they've got into living object lessons. Yesterday on the course I saw many runners, probably at their limit, dropping out near the finish line. Our finish line must be getting home safely. If you feel your body can't persist, we stop...
Have you ever wondered when a person can become their true self? Each of us is born unique and irreplaceable. Those who run truly love running; the marathon merely provides everyone an opportunity to prove themselves. And this proof is not for others to see—we prove only our own happiness, and the self that is happy because of independence. Every runner who crosses the finish line is their own hero in this ordinary world...
Time Passes the Baton Here
So 2016 was already ten years ago! Ten years is but a brief moment in the long river of life, yet it's enough to let a seed of love for running take root, sprout, and grow into a lush forest. Looking back at these ten years, from running alone to running shoulder-to-shoulder with a group today, every step witnesses the power of persistence, and every journey interprets the value of dreams.
In the future, there are countless more decades waiting for us. I look forward to continuing to run with this group of like-minded friends, to explore more unknown courses... More importantly, running really isn't a boring sport. If you haven't yet felt the joy of running, you can start by watching a running race, feeling the passion and energy of running from a spectator's perspective. If destiny undergoes tremendous change through unintentional choices, it is fate; but within this fate, life is also like a marathon, full of hardships and difficulties. It doesn't care about momentary bursts, but about persistence along the way. As long as you're willing to take the first step, every future step will be full of surprises. And I will look forward to the next decade of running, and more decades...
Final Words
2016–2026. Thank you to the me of ten years ago for choosing the sport of marathon, and thank the marathon for choosing me... See you in the next decade!
