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Joys of running a marathon in smog-ridden Beijing

Wu Wenlong loves running marathons in Beijing and says neither air pollution nor old age will make him quit the sport

Marathon runner Wu Wenlong in action. Photo: SMP
Wu Wenlong is keen a marathon runner in Beijing, a city notorious for its air pollution. The difficulties the 33-year-old faces in training and during races, however, have not deterred him and he has become so passionate about his sport that he is promoting a half marathon at Jiulong Lake in Zhejiang province next Sunday.

I was working at an art magazine in Beijing in early 2010, but was pretty much exhausted at work and was looking for a way to release the pressure. I don't drink or smoke and sport was the only way to do this. After work I started jogging with friends every day in the Sanlitun area of Beijing where there a lot of foreign embassies. Police and security guards would follow us at first, but after a few months they got used to us and stopped. I soon realised that merely running each day was not enough to ease the pressure, nor boost my confidence. I wanted to be strong, not just physically but also mentally, to help me to conquer more things I was unable to achieve. I came upon the idea of challenging myself to do a full marathon, which is always seen as a pinnacle of achievement by most people. So I began to undertake regular training. It was like playing a computer game: you gain energy through running marathons and are able to reach a higher level in your life.

It was the Beijing marathon in 2011. I was very nervous because it was my first time tackling a course over 40km long. It took a long time to even drive the course. There's a kind of six-hour limit for the body running a marathon and there was also a kind of pressure within me. I woke up early that morning and asked myself whether I should just give up. I kept asking myself the same question when I was in a taxi going to Tiananmen Square, then passing the security checks and finally standing at the starting line. However, when I finished the race with the other runners it felt great.

Air pollution has become a severe concern to many runners, especially during last year's Beijing marathon when the air pollution index was considered to be at hazardous levels. But when people asked me whether I would drop out of the marathon because of the smog, I just laughed. I take a different view. If running a marathon on a polluted day shortens my lifespan, it will only cut off the last few months of my life. But if I give up marathons, I will definitely regret it when I look back on my life during my final days. I run in gyms instead of outdoors if the air pollution index is over 200, but it's not recommended. Air pollution is harming our health, but I love this sport so much that I can't quit.

Marathons bring me joy and are great fun. It's appealing because when you run in different cities you see new views and scenery. The Xiamen marathon has the best-designed course and the Beijing marathon obviously runs through the capital. Hangzhou marathon is famous for the view of the West Lake. We are not just running, but also enjoying the local culture which ignites the passion of runners. One memory was from the Beijing marathon when I saw a foreign runner with a sign on her back which said "the biggest loss is to give up". I keep this saying on my mobile phone to encourage myself.

If I can step two steps forward, I will never take only one step. The moment when you conquer a marathon you know you will never think of giving it up. I don't want to become like those people in middle age with big bellies because of drinking beer. That's why I have started to organise marathons, to show the joys of running a marathon to more people.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: The joy of the long distance runner
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