I love the Hong Kong in movies: Central, where countless gunfights have occurred; Shek O, where Stephen Chow said 'I'll take care of you'; the Peak, where countless couples have kissed. I also love Hong Kong's food: the delicious and affordable Harbour Restaurant, the mobile Rich Ice Cream Truck, the long-queued Kau Kee Beef Brisket, and the fresh seafood that makes this girl from Inner Mongolia drool. But I have always had one regret about Hong Kong.

The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon is known not only for its 'Asia's toughest course' title but also for its enthusiastic spectators, high-level runners, a course that traverses half of Hong Kong's beautiful scenery, and race supplies that encapsulate the essence of Hong Kong's cuisine. The Hong Kong Marathon is one of the pilgrimages for runners and one of the hardest marathons in Asia to get a spot in. By now, you probably know what my regret about Hong Kong is. That's right! I have never had the chance to personally experience the 'body and mind torture' of the Hong Kong Marathon! I can only console my wounded soul by showing off other people's Hong Kong Marathon medals. I wish myself luck in getting a spot for the 2020 Hong Kong Marathon!

Speaking of participating in the Hong Kong Marathon, do you know that besides the official registration channel, there are other ways to get direct entry spots? Let me share a little secret with you.By participating in the Standard Chartered 'Belt and Road' Beijing 10K event, you have a chance to get entry spots for the full marathon, half marathon, and 10K race in the Hong Kong Marathon, and these spots are direct entry without the need for a lottery!Although the registration for this year's event has ended, knowing that there are other ways to get a spot in the Hong Kong Marathon besides the official channel is good news, right? With an additional way to get a spot, maybe we'll meet on the Hong Kong Marathon course next year. Say Hi and Run!

It's not just difficult to register for the Hong Kong Marathon; participating in it is also exhausting. For the 2019 Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, to meet the IAAF Gold Label race requirements and to avoid interfering with the full marathon elite runners, the cutoff time for the half marathon challenge group was raised from 3 hours to 2 hours and 25 minutes. The increasingly stringent standards mean that the tongue-twister phenomenon of 'running dregs running dregs marathon' will be hard to see in the future.

Running a marathon can be a solo battle, but with thousands of people celebrating, you can also help yourself reach a personal best (PB) by following others. Reflecting on last year's Wuhan Marathon, I really have to thank the official pacer who led me. His steady pace prevented me from hitting the wall in the second half, and his encouragement and companionship helped me break 4 hours like a dream! But even so, facing the high demands of the Hong Kong Marathon, I still feel immense pressure to break my PB.

PB—Personal Best—is a term every running enthusiast is familiar with because it represents one's best performance. Breaking a PB means surpassing your previous best, pushing your limits, and becoming a stronger version of yourself. This is what many runners strive for.Behind every PB is discipline and persistence, as well as accumulated training and mileage. I believe it is equally important to have a pacer who can lead and accompany you to achieve your dream time on the course.

Pacers, also known as pace setters, originally came from hunting activities where they were used as prey for hunting dogs. Poor rabbits were released for the dogs to chase. Whether this is reliable or not, it certainly paints a vivid picture.

In the running community, pacers can be divided into three types: track pacers, road running elite pacers, and road running amateur pacers. Road running amateur pacers appear in marathons to lead amateur runners. Generally, each speed level will have a certain number of pacers, and most ordinary runners follow these road running amateur pacers in marathons.

You've probably seen regular pacers on the course, but have you seen 'rainbow pacers'? They are a group of road running amateur pacers from the New Balance Run Club (NBRC). At NBRC, they train together, run together, share experiences, and prepare for marathons together. They run at the most comfortable pace and make the best running partners and team. They are a group of highly honorable and professional pacers!

A 'rainbow pacer' told me that their pressure in races is no less than that of ordinary runners. Usually, pacers are stronger than the role they take on. For example, a '430 pacer' must be capable of finishing the marathon in under 4 hours, so being a '430 pacer' won't be too stressful. But for pacers, 'not running fast and being an untiring metronome' becomes a sweet burden.

'Rainbow pacer' is my nickname for them. This strong and powerful team has a name that echoes the sweat they have shed: Color Pacers.

Color Pacers are like rainbows, divided into six color pace segments: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, representing paces from 4:00 to 6:30 per kilometer. They provide precise pacing services for runners with different needs, helping them achieve their race goals.

Most people are destined to start as ordinary runners. From 'novice' to 'expert,' it requires self-discipline and persistence to achieve this extraordinary journey.

So, from 'running dregs' to running with 'color,' achieving PBs in race after race might just need the guidance and companionship of a rainbow pacer.

We need to hear the wind blowing through the canyon to know it's the wind.

We need to see the white clouds brushing over the mountains to know they are clouds.

We gather together because of running, and that's how we know it's love.

We also need to run marathons together to know that running marathons is also because of love.

Running alone is a lonely journey. Along this endless path, there are injuries, difficulties, and confusion... not understanding why you chose to run, saying countless times that you want to give up, but ultimately being unable to let go.

For runners, matching pace is the most suitable. This time, join NBRC and become part of the group gathered because of love. This time, achieve it in the name of rainbow pacing! I love marathons, using my speed to be your stopwatch.

The best running experience is discovering a long-lost feeling in a strange place. Just run, unrestrained and free. One day, put on your running shoes, take yourself, and run as far as you can.From now on, take a screenshot of your phone and scan the QR code or open WeChat to search for the mini-program 'NBRC.' Join NBRC and run with the rainbow pacers to run with 'color'!