Our Running Journey: Inspiration and Perseverance with the Beijing Marathon Association
Wu: Foreword
The title of this sharing piece was coined by Mr. Gan. When the coach invited us to write something, I initially agreed to give it a try and share my reflections. However, I caught a cold and hadn’t started drafting when Mr. Gan, who usually shies away from writing, enthusiastically sent me this document just a day later, saying, ‘You’ve been sick, so I hurried to help you complete the assignment.’ In truth, I believe this piece truly comes from his heartfelt inspiration.
Gan: Running Freely
By a stroke of chance this year, I joined the Beijing Marathon Association’s beginner running camp, a purely public welfare community sports program. After just two training sessions, I suddenly discovered the joy of healthy running. My obsession with running surged like an unstoppable river, perfectly echoing the slogan, ‘Five kilometers, oh five kilometers, I miss you if I don’t run every other day.’
Perhaps deep down, everyone harbors a desire to run freely, but it takes a spark to ignite it. Those who haven’t started running simply haven’t found their moment yet.
What Kind of Spark Is Needed?
My spark came from accompanying my partner to the beginner camp. To be honest, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that during my younger days as a student, I loved sports—high jump, basketball, volleyball, soccer, table tennis, and badminton, I was decent at them all. But after starting work, I gradually became inactive, and my weight crept up steadily.
On August 26, I attended the camp’s first session as a companion runner. While there, I observed, soaking in the camp’s well-organized atmosphere. As someone with a ‘semi-professional’ perspective, I naturally had my own angle.
First, I looked at whether the warm-up activities were professional. There’s a method to this—professional warm-ups target the body from head to toe, with movements progressing from slow to fast and small to large. Think back to the camp’s warm-up routine; doesn’t it subtly follow this sequence and principle?
Second, I considered the duration and intensity of the warm-up. Following the coach’s lead, completing the warm-up with demonstrations and corrections made it clear. These two points convinced me that this was a professional effort to popularize community sports, not some amateur endeavor. With no reason to hesitate, I dove in and fully committed.
How to Ignite the Spark?
I felt three key elements:
1. The philosophy of healthy jogging, prioritizing safety.
2. Focusing on personal progress, not competition, with scientific training methods.
3. The camp’s system ensuring ‘knowledge and action as one.’
The camp’s four-week, four-session structure—pre-run warm-ups, post-run stretches, targeted post-session explanations, eight check-ins, refundable deposits, and community maintenance—has formed a mature, well-functioning system. Even with zero experience, participants can approach the basics and professional aspects of running with a positive mindset, from running jargon to posture, cadence, heart rate, and strength.
The coaches and pacers were professional, enthusiastic, and taught by example, progressing from easy to challenging, making it simple to grasp. The first session involved running small loops with Class 4, covering 3 kilometers. I practiced keeping my back straight, engaging my core, and lifting my body, which the coach constantly emphasized. Slowing my speed and quickening my cadence, this technique quickly became muscle memory. Between sessions, I watched President Zhao’s running posture demo video and ran 5 kilometers offline, mentally rehearsing the key points.
During the second session, I paid close attention to Vice Camp Leader Qu’s explanation of breathing techniques and practiced them while running. The coaches’ professionalism is one thing, but sports and artistic activities require deliberate practice to bridge ‘knowing’ and ‘doing.’ Halfway through the second session, I suddenly felt I could keep running forever—a euphoric, selfless urge to just keep going!
The camp fosters a great atmosphere and sense of ceremony, with a professional volunteer team and an online community that cares deeply for beginners. Its organized, disciplined, and systematic approach sparks everyone’s running passion—a truly remarkable contribution.
How to Persist?
Reflecting on those four weeks, attending the camp every Saturday morning pulled both of us out of our daily routines, immersing us in a journey of mind and body unity. This focus didn’t come from external noise but from within.
Between sessions, we’d visit nearby parks to check in. Running along Aosen South Park, Zhengchangzhuang Park, Tianyuan Park, and Lianshi Lake Park was a process of rediscovering familiar routes and scenery. Suddenly, I felt there were so many places to explore in Beijing, not just fleeting visits but deep, focused experiences. It’s like getting your first car and realizing your travel range has expanded. Running greatly extended our walking range, enriching our daily outings, revealing overlooked scenery, and trimming the fat that made us feel sluggish.
The joy of healthy running isn’t just about fat loss, reflection, check-ins, social media posts, or vanity—it comes from the real experience of uniting knowledge and action. The essence of healthy running lies in ‘going with the flow.’ Correct posture and persistence help you find the relaxed sensation of core engagement, forward momentum, and effortless leg movement—the ‘just run’ feeling.
The experts in the camp’s WeChat group have always encouraged me to share my running experiences and inspire others.
As someone who once didn’t care much for running, I was genuinely moved and motivated by the Beijing Marathon Association’s beginner camp atmosphere, shaping the runner I am today. It’s only right to contribute in my small way. On the occasion of the camp’s second anniversary and essay call, I offer this humble piece to capture a beginner’s voice, hoping it serves as a reference for others.
Perhaps deep within, we all hold a wish to run freely, releasing our passion and energy without restraint. Yet, this desire is often buried under our environment, life’s pressures, and daily chores. We need a spark to ignite and sustain it, and the Beijing Marathon Association’s beginner camp is the perfect choice.
May the camp be the spark for more people.
Wu: Afterword
Mr. Gan stressed that this document was a draft for my reference, but I genuinely feel he captured authentic emotions, leaving little for me to revise. I just tweaked the format and added a few photos.
That said, let me add a bit—or rather, elaborate—on how Mr. Gan’s spark came about.
‘My spark came from accompanying my partner to the beginner camp.’ Mr. Gan summed up his running journey in one sentence, succinctly capturing the effort and role I played in this.
My story of joining the camp is simple. It began when I joined a subgroup of a parent chat called ‘Run, Eat, Run, Drink,’ filled with running enthusiasts. The stories of middle-aged parents starting from scratch, progressing to 5K, 10K, half-marathons, full marathons, and even ultra-trail races, inspired me and got me itching to try. Feeling my running foundation was weak and unsure how to start properly, I casually mentioned to a friend—a seasoned amateur marathoner who’d urged me to run countless times without success—that I finally wanted to start running. Thrilled that his years of nudging paid off, he immediately suggested trying the Beijing Marathon Association’s beginner camp and sent me a registration link for the 13th session a few days later. I was still hesitant, but clicking the link, I felt it was perfect for me—and for Mr. Gan. Because running alone isn’t as fun as running together, I secretly resolved to convince Mr. Gan to join me.
As Mr. Gan himself said, ‘I’m someone who enjoys sports, having done high jump, basketball, volleyball, soccer, table tennis, and badminton quite well.’ People like him typically don’t enjoy running, especially long-distance, finding it monotonous. So, directly asking him to join a beginner camp and run 5 kilometers was nearly impossible—it required some tactics and strategy.
Step One: I announced I was starting to run and decided to learn properly by joining a beginner camp from scratch. For Mr. Gan, who sees himself as a sports expert, the fact that I—someone who hadn’t run 5K in over 40 years and struggled with 800 meters—suddenly wanted to run was something worth encouraging. He happily offered support and cheers.
Step Two: The camp was early Saturday mornings at Aosen, a bit too early, and parking was tricky. I asked if he could drive me there, saying I needed his support for my fitness goal. Naturally, Mr. Gan agreed.
Step Three: Running requires proper shoes, and I needed his help picking them out since he’s the sports expert. Mr. Gan, a classic gear enthusiast, had no issue with this and accompanied me to the store. After trying on my preferred pair, I told the clerk to bring the same style in men’s. Mr. Gan, slightly alarmed, said, ‘I’m not running!’ I replied, ‘You don’t need to run to buy running shoes. Is there a discount for two pairs?’ So, we went home with two pairs.
Step Four: I’d be training at Aosen for about an hour and a half. What would he do during that time? Going home and coming back would waste the morning. He said he’d wander around Aosen. I pointed out that Class 4’s pace was basically his strolling speed, so why not wander with me? He agreed to join me. But the camp doesn’t allow unregistered companions (a real rule), so I suggested he sign up too. The fee was just a 50-yuan deposit, you get a shirt, and the deposit’s refunded if you complete the tasks. And so, Mr. Gan, still unclear about what the camp was, agreed to register.
Mr. Gan described the rest of the story. One detail: after the first session, I bought him other running gear without asking, ensuring he had all the professional beginner equipment by the second offline session. For a gear enthusiast, having the full kit is the foundation of any sport. To save face and avoid my complaints about wasting money, he had to stick with it for a while.
This is the story of how Mr. Gan and I, together, embarked on our journey with the beginner camp. I hope our connection with the camp deepens in the future.