Personalized Marathon Training Plan Guide
Preparing for a marathon requires a systematic training plan. RunBox AI coach creates a customized 16-20 week marathon training plan based on your fitness level, goal time, and available training time.
Why Choose an AI-Customized Marathon Training Plan?
- Personalized Assessment: Based on your running experience and fitness condition
- Smart Adjustments: Training intensity optimizes automatically with progress
- Scientific Pacing: Based on your target finish time
- Injury Prevention: Reasonable intensity progression to avoid injuries
why i have confidence in chinese marathons
In the latest update of the IAAF label races, many Chinese cities' marathons have won gold and bronze medals. For example, the Taiyuan Marathon, Hengshui Lake Marathon, and Shenzhen Marathon have won the 'IAAF Gold Label Races,' while the Nanchang Marathon, Liupanshui Marathon, Xichang Marathon, and Changsha Marathon have won the 'IAAF Bronze Label Races.' This, to some extent, reflects the booming development of marathon events in China.
As of today, China has 12 'IAAF Gold Label Races,' 3 'IAAF Silver Label Races,' and 9 'IAAF Bronze Label Races' (including the 'Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon' and the 'New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon'). More and more Chinese city marathons are gaining international recognition. It is believed that these 24 'IAAF Label Races' in China will hold themselves to higher standards, making themselves more deserving of this honor and striving for even greater accolades.
Some people always like to use the saying 'a golden cup and a silver cup are not as good as the people's reputation' to mock the continuous good news from the IAAF. I do not deny the importance of reputation, but if we always focus on reputation and do not acknowledge the professionalism of the 'IAAF Label Races,' it is very much like the criticism we have of the 'college entrance examination'.
Many people say that the 'college entrance examination' cannot fully reflect a student's abilities, but if a student meets the score requirements for Tsinghua University or Peking University, no one can stop them from attending these prestigious institutions. We should give them our best wishes. Similarly, if our marathons meet the standards of the 'IAAF Label Races,' we should not be stingy with our goodwill but rather give them our best wishes and expectations.
I am confident that in the near future, more and more excellent city marathons in China will join the 'IAAF Label Races' family, contributing better-organized and more outstanding marathon events for China and the world.
Many people will ask, 'Da Bing, where does your confidence come from?' Let me explain the reasons one by one.
1. The ability of Chinese people to concentrate their efforts on major tasks
When it comes to the ability to concentrate efforts on major tasks, I think Chinese people rank second to none!
Since the unification of China during the Qin Dynasty, China has always had a centralized political system that has lasted for over two thousand years. Centralization has not only ensured the unity of the Chinese nation but has also, to some extent, shaped the ability of Chinese people to concentrate their efforts on major tasks. The centralized governance ensures that when mobilizing national efforts for major tasks, it is as smooth as using one's arm or hand. Having done many major tasks, this ability has been imprinted in the genes and culture of Chinese people.
In the past, we could build the Great Wall and dig the Grand Canal. Today, we can host the Olympics and the World Expo and construct large-scale infrastructure projects across the country, all done beautifully and admired by the world.
Operating a marathon is a huge project that requires mobilizing many personnel, resources, and efforts. However, for the hardworking, brave, and intelligent Chinese people, it is not considered a difficult task.
Hosting a marathon can attract twenty to thirty thousand runners, making it a major event in many cities. It is a rare opportunity for a city to showcase itself to the nation and even the world.
To host a successful marathon, the organizers, mostly local governments, and various departments will cooperate well. A well-organized marathon significantly enhances the city's reputation and prestige. If it is poorly organized, it can negatively impact the city's reputation, potentially reducing tourism, hotel, flight, and dining revenues, directly affecting the city's GDP.
In front of millions of citizens and local governments, operating companies dare not slack off. They will do their utmost to make the marathon a runner's carnival and a city's grand event.
——from the Internet
In 2018, there were 1,581 running events nationwide, and 99.99% of them were successfully held. Even if some events had issues, it was not because the operating companies did not try their best but because of some uncontrollable factors. For minor issues in some events, if they were not done maliciously, we should show more goodwill, understanding, tolerance, and encouragement.
3. Intensified competition in the marathon operation market
As the number of marathons in China increases daily, event operating companies are also emerging across the country like mushrooms after rain. According to incomplete statistics, there are nearly 500 large and small event operating companies in China, all wanting a share of the booming marathon market.
However, the hosting rights for city marathons in China are in the hands of various levels of government. To obtain the operating rights for a city's marathon, companies must compete with several, a dozen, or even twenty or thirty other companies, making it quite challenging to secure the rights.
Once an operating company secures the rights to an event, they will do everything possible to organize it well, satisfying runners, citizens, and the government, hoping to earn some extra points for future bids.
Our government leaders at all levels are very discerning. If an operating company dedicates itself to the local marathon and does a good job, they will likely renew the contract. If the company is not diligent and has a poor reputation, the government will find a way to replace it.
An event company that secures the operating rights for a city's marathon cannot afford to slack off during the cooperation period. Any slight negligence will be seized upon by other companies waiting like wolves to pounce.
4. The face culture of Chinese people
Chinese people care about face, which is deeply rooted in our blood, culture, and genes. Marathon operators are no exception.
Marathon operators have their circles and will attend industry gatherings and training sessions, such as the marathon competition organization and management training classes organized by Orange Line and the Chinese Athletics Association. At these gatherings, no one wants to be secretly gossiped about: 'The recently notorious marathon was organized by their company, and it was a disaster.' That would be too embarrassing.
If an event is particularly well-organized, the core members of the operating company will be invited to various gatherings and training sessions as guests and share their experiences. For example, Li Changzheng from Huipao Sports, known for excellent runner services, was invited to share how to provide good runner services at the Chinese Athletics Association's training class. Similarly, Hou Dawei from Xinhua Net Sports, known for excellent media communication, was invited to share how to do good communication and public relations. This is very prestigious.
To save face and stand tall among peers, our marathon operators will strive to organize their events well.
5. Strong self-media supervision
The mobile internet has given rise to many super apps with massive user bases, such as WeChat, Toutiao, and Baidu. To attract more traffic, they have set up their media platforms—WeChat's public accounts, Toutiao's Toutiao accounts, and Baidu's Baijia accounts. Anyone with the willingness and ability to create can become self-media, and there is a large group of self-media born from runners in the running community.
Self-media does not have the constraints of traditional media, allowing for relatively free and truthful content. If an event is well-organized, self-media editors in the running community will praise it, and the good reputation of the event and operating company will quickly spread. However, if there are any shortcomings, they will not hold back in their criticism. Once a critical article is written and followed by other self-media, the entire running community, and even all of China, will know about the poorly organized event.
To some extent, self-media in the running community can supervise operating companies to organize events well, just like the relatively free media environment in Singapore can deter the political arena, ensuring clean governance despite one-party rule.
As a member of the running community's self-media, [Handsome Da Bing] calls on self-media editors to pay more attention to the good aspects of events. If there are shortcomings, they can be criticized rationally, but not exaggerated or maliciously smeared for the sake of traffic.
6. A wave of excellent young people operating events
The backbone of marathon operations now consists mostly of those born in the late 1980s and 1990s. Many of them have received a complete education, have high standards for themselves, possess excellent aesthetics, understand rules and methods, use tools and internet technology to solve problems, and have excellent learning abilities and innovative spirits. Innovations such as facial recognition, paperless item collection, mini-program participation guides, and mixed zone arrangements have been gradually applied to marathons by them.
I know many young and excellent marathon operators, such as Sister Mao, Zibin, General Xiao Nan, Miss Chen, Brother Yao, Yongbin, Jiadong, Xixi, Jiangang, Jianliang, Liu Jian, Brother Qin, Peach, Momo, Sifan, Zijun, Wang Mian, Yujuan, Xiaojuan, Susan, Guanrong, Jiabin, Zhiqiang, and others. They are outstanding in both character and work. No matter which field they are in, they are top-notch. They pour their passion and sweat into marathon operations, which is a blessing for Chinese runners and marathons. With them, I have confidence in Chinese marathons.
——From General Xiao Nan, from left: Xixi, General Ren, General Xiao Nan, and Jiadong
For event companies, operating a marathon is a physically and mentally exhausting super project. However, they still choose to stay in this field, which shows that they have excellent work abilities, strong inner strength, diligence, and perseverance. Thank you for your efforts in creating one excellent marathon after another.
Chinese marathons will undoubtedly have an increasingly bright future. Even if there are still various problems for now, we must believe that these are just hurdles and setbacks in the development process. Our excellent marathon operators will undoubtedly make marathons better and better. The road is tortuous, but the future is bright.
Just like our great Chinese nation is on the road to rejuvenation, there will be difficulties and obstacles, but the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable.
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- GPT-4o powered personalized training plans
- Daily training guidance and feedback
- Nutrition and recovery advice
- Real-time progress tracking
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