a city a long awaited desire for the shanghai marathon

It's been a long time since I appeared in everyone's sight,

Have you already forgotten me?

Photographer: Tommy

♡♡ What you constantly think about will eventually echo back ♡♡

After the Xi'an Marathon, many friends asked me: Where will you run next?

I always answer: I have no marathon plans for the first half of the year, but I really want to run the Shanghai Marathon in the second half.

Because, among Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xi'an, only the Shanghai Marathon is left.

In the blink of an eye, it's already the second half of the year. After the anticipation during registration and the excitement of getting selected, I finally returned to this city on the eve of the Shanghai Marathon. The sky, the wind, the streets here feel both familiar and strange, but I like them all.

On the morning of November 12, 2017, I stood at the starting line of the 2017 Shanghai International Marathon with 30,000 other runners. The gunshot... the start... from nervous excitement to exhaustion and hardship... from struggling to gritting my teeth and persevering... the harder the journey, the happier the moment of reaching the finish line.

♡♡ There is no innate positive energy, only goals ahead ♡♡

The 42.195 kilometers of a marathon are not about a momentary burst, but about silent perseverance along the way. Countless times, you can choose to give up, but there will also be countless times that make you continue to persist.

At 36 kilometers, my watch indicated a pace drop to 7:37. I silently calculated... If I continue to slow down, I might miss my personal best (PB), right? Running so tired, so hard, should I just give up...

But, am I really willing to?

I've been looking forward to the Shanghai Marathon for so long and have already persisted for 36 kilometers. Am I really not going to achieve a PB for myself? I might regret it... Try a little harder, persist a little longer. As long as every step is on the path forward, I will get closer to the finish line and closer to my PB. While there's still time, maybe I can do it.

Photographer: Jiong Jiong

"I can't" and "I can" are just a thought apart...

My heart kept telling me: Run, don't escape. That way, when you stand on a high point and look back one day, you will be gratified to find that the year you ran with ambition and gritted teeth on the road with over fifty turns was the most beautiful.

The moment of crossing the finish line is glory.

No matter the speed, it's all glory.

The glory of fulfilling a wish is like winning a battle.

♡♡ The Shanghai Marathon gave me many surprises ♡♡

From the start to the finish, the cheers from both sides of the track were endless, with people shouting in unison: "Beauty~ Keep going!" It felt like the treatment of a star; along the way, there were DJs, drummers, and bands. Those thoughtful volunteers removing the stems from cherry tomatoes; the last 200 meters rushing into the stadium, an amazing and perfect experience, and the photographers silently recording every moment for us...

Photographer: Tommy

On the track with 28,000 people, the world felt as small as a street scene. We met by chance, smiled at each other, cheered each other on, and skipped all the small talk.

Countless such moments made me feel the world is warm, and I must repay this kindness doubly. Shen Wu Ze said that a marathon is a large-scale meetup for online friends. I think so too; it's fate that makes the first meeting with fellow runners feel like a long-awaited reunion.

♡♡ About this city ♡♡

I have a bowl of wine that can soothe the dust,

And I have a story stronger than strong liquor,

Today, it's filled and served to you.

Friends always say that I seem quiet and gentle, and they can't tell that I like sports so much, especially running marathons! Yes, I think I might be the most running-loving jewelry designer.

Many people think long-distance running is too hard, both tedious and boring, and ask me why I can keep going. Actually, it's nothing.

During my school days in Shanghai, in those particularly introverted and extremely lonely years, I suddenly met a very good person and experienced a simple yet happy love. At that time, I never thought that someone would care for me in a foreign land, but I received a lot of love and companionship.

After leaving him, I returned to a lonely life, but I was no longer the overly introverted and lonely self I used to be.

Living alone in another city, the days felt long. Three years have passed, and I still haven't met someone I deeply love and want to be with forever. During these long, repetitive days, I replaced the loneliness of being alone with reading and running. They brought me many changes, from the inside out, giving me spiritual fulfillment.

From walking slowly to running continuously, it took me a long time; from silence to smiling, all because of the passion and energy I found in running.

In the past, I often walked long distances alone, feeling like a fallen leaf when the wind blew. Later, I fell in love with running, and the once unsociable me gradually became someone who loves to smile and talk.

How far is 42.195 kilometers?

It's like the long four years I spent in this city,

Or as short as a round-trip plane ticket.

This city will not forget me; it doesn't need to. I am so light to it, like cotton candy in an amusement park on a weekend afternoon. I had you in my heart, and I was here.

♡♡ My hardened heart is a gift from time ♡♡

I don't know where all the growing pains came from. Now, I just want to live a simpler life and be happy. No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place by accident. No matter which direction I go in the future, I want to live a life without regrets.

Just like Feng 11 said, striving until you move yourself is probably the best state. I also wish your smile becomes brighter and brighter, like the sunshine.

Perhaps the charm of life lies in the fact that the period you silently prayed a hundred times not to come too punctually still arrives on time, the cold that sneaks up two days before the Shanghai Marathon despite a year of good health, and yet you still overcome them and achieve your little PB.

In this lifetime, we don't have much time, so run as far as you can. With this passion for running, work hard and fulfill your next wish.

You say persistence is hard, but I don't think so.

Because I have already made it a part of my life.

Photographer: Tommy

Autumn has crumpled the old leaves, do you still want to hear new stories?

I am Little Honey,

Nice to meet you.

What an amazing thing to meet you.

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