On May 26, the 2024 Jinan (Pingyin) Women's Half Marathon of Brocade Group will start. This sports feast of roses and sports blended with many people's expectations, and in Pingyin, many people "took the initiative to ask for help", hoping to participate in the preparation of the event. The Pingyin County Marathon Association is one of them.
This time, we contacted Zhao Wei, president of the Pingyin County Marathon Association, and through his narration, we have a deeper understanding of running, and also a deeper understanding of how the people of Pingyin are looking forward to this upcoming feast.
Shandong Business Daily Super Leopard News Network reporter Li Baicun
In three months, he unlocked the full marathon
"I should have been the first group of people in Pingyin to run marathons," Zhao Wei recalled. No one is born to run a marathon, and Zhao Wei is no different. As a sports enthusiast, Zhao Wei often participates in outdoor hiking, and by chance, he participated in a heavy hiking activity, and Zhao Wei was surprised by the strength shown by two players. Zhao Wei, who was originally strong, couldn't compare to these two "masters", which made him very incomprehensible.
"You definitely can't run people, they usually run marathons." Someone told Zhao Wei this, and then he knew why he couldn't compare to others. But this did not discourage Zhao Wei, in his heart, he began to understand that the marathon that once made him awe-inspiring was not so far away from ordinary people.
After that, Zhao Wei began to try to run a marathon and customized a detailed training plan for him. From the initial three kilometers to gradually increase, Zhao Wei plans to spend half a year to challenge a full marathon. Unexpectedly, in just three months, a friend of Zhao Wei gave him a chance to run a marathon, at first he was very uncertain, but all the way down, Zhao Wei not only successfully finished the race, but also ran excellent results, which made many people admire.
Running for many years, Zhao Wei treasures a series of his past events. He said that after running half a marathon for the first time, he went home and lay down on the ground for half an hour, tired and happy; Speaking of the 2015 800 Quicksand Extreme Race, which was all elite runners recruited from all over the world, it was an honor for me to stand on this field.
"If you have run a marathon in your life, this will have a great impact on you, when you feel that you have reached a dead end, as long as you can hold on to this breath, you will find that there is a light in front of you, which is a good tempering of people's willpower." Zhao Wei told a reporter from Shandong Business Daily and Super Leopard News Network that he said that he had too many such personal experiences, and after countless runs, his will became stronger, and his outlook on life began to change.
It is better to run together than to run alone
"When I first started running, I wanted to get results, but then my mindset slowly changed, and I started to want to run for health, and now, I want to run with everyone." Talking about his mental journey of running over the years, Zhao Wei said.
Insisting on running for a long time has brought Zhao Wei a full sense of accomplishment and tempered his outlook on life and values. Over time, Zhao Wei had an idea in his heart: to establish the Pingyin County Marathon Sports Association, bring more people in Pingyin to run together, and let more people enjoy the happiness brought by running.
"Now that everyone is paying more and more attention to health, we have created this association, which is also to help the cause of national fitness and enhance the people's physique, which I think is a very meaningful thing." Zhao Wei said. After the establishment of the association, he led the members to participate in a series of competitions.
Every Sunday morning, the Association carries out regular training on time, and the number of people can reach more than 100. Even in the cold winter months, there are still dozens of hardcore runners who are not afraid of the cold and go to the appointment on time. "Theory + Practice" teaching and training will also be held regularly, and professional coaches will guide running skills and precautions to ensure that every runner can "run without injury and enjoy sports".
In addition to organizing weekly running activities, the association also organized teams to participate in various sports meetings and various long-distance running events in Jinan City and Pingyin County, and assisted the county authorities in planning and organizing various health runs with distinct themes and great commemorative significance. With the organization and participation of a series of activities, a large number of elite runners have emerged in the association, and more than 80 people often participate in marathons around the world. It is worth mentioning that in the Wuxi Marathon on March 18, 2023, all the participants of the Pingyin Marathon Association achieved the PB achievement of the whole marathon, and some runners finished the race with a time of 2 hours, 50 minutes and 47 seconds, achieving "breaking three", which is another landmark moment for the Pingyin County Marathon Association to participate in the marathon.
It is worth mentioning that in addition to a series of marathon-related activities on weekdays, the association also actively practices social responsibility and integrates its own development into the society.
"We don't just run, as a social organization, we definitely want to contribute to society, which was thought of at the beginning of our establishment." Speaking of which, Zhao Wei is very proud. The establishment of the Pingyin County Marathon Association not only allowed the majority of Pingyin running enthusiasts to find an organization, but also made a real contribution to Pingyin with the power of running, all of which is really a fascinating story.
With all their might, they want to do something for Pingyin
On May 26, the 2024 Jinan (Pingyin) Women's Half Marathon of Brocade Group will be held, which will be held in Pingyin, adding a special emotion and glory to Pingyin. Pingyin, a place known for its beautiful landscapes and humanities, is now rejuvenated by this marathon. People who love running, with their love for their hometown, have devoted themselves to the preparation of the event, among which the Pingyin County Marathon Association has played a pivotal role.
"We definitely have to do our best to be able to do something for our hometown, which is very meaningful, and it is not the joy and satisfaction that money can bring." Zhao Wei told reporters that when the association needed volunteers to provide volunteers for the filming of the event promotional video, everyone in the association was very active and wanted to participate, and no one asked about the remuneration.
"It is very appropriate for our first women's marathon in Jinan to be held in Pingyin, which is a female-friendly city, such as our Pingyin specialties, such as roses and ejiao, which are very good for women. I hope that our event can be famous in the country, so that all the female compatriots who come to our Pingyin to participate in the marathon, including the male compatriots who accompany the runner, can feel the warmth and hospitality of our Pingyin people, and also taste our Pingyin special food, and feel the beautiful environment of our Pingyin County. ”
Zhao Wei and the enthusiasm of the Pingyin County Marathon Sports Association are a true microcosm of many Pingyin people. As the event approaches, the streets and alleys of Pingyin are filled with an atmosphere of expectation and enthusiasm. Whether it's those who love running or those who don't know anything about marathons, almost everyone's face is full of anticipation and pride in this event.
All these will become the most precious memories and wealth of Pingyin.
Jiang Zhixian, editor of Shandong Business Daily and Super Leopard News Network