black cat says growing up with green horse for three years

Today marks the tenth day since the end of the Qingdao Marathon. At this moment, I don't know which corner of the Earth you are in. Are you bundled up in a coat, braving the wind and snow, or are you sipping a refreshing cold drink? Here I am, in Qingdao, on an early summer afternoon, looking out of my office window, reminiscing about the 42.195 kilometers we ran together on May 4th.

Distance is no barrier to friendship. Thanks to the Qingdao Marathon, I have witnessed the power of many role models, including Claire, who I just said goodnight to. Today is the third day since she returned to Washington after running the marathon in her hometown. We are 12 hours apart. She says her hometown is a pile of boarding passes in a drawer, two clocks set to different time zones on her phone, the same sky that is both visible and unreachable, and the Qingdao Marathon she must return to run every year, no matter how busy she is.

In these three years of the Qingdao Marathon, I have also grown.So, on the eve of this year's marathon, I wrote the article 'I'm 30, So What?' I am grateful for the beautiful scenery of the Qingdao Marathon over these three years, which has been a solace for my eyes. I am thankful for the wonderful warmth given to me by the lovely people of the marathon, and I appreciate all the encounters that have gracefully annotated this world.

A week before the 2017 Qingdao Marathon, I averaged only three hours of sleep per night. The lowest point was the Wednesday before the race, when I worked overnight. The day before the race, I was still on a business trip in Hangzhou. As expected, my late-night flight was delayed, and I didn't get home until the middle of the night. But this is the marathon in my hometown. I think it's like the heart of a wanderer—no matter how far or how tired, there's an urgent need to come back and run.

Fortunately, I didn't give up—

That year, I saw citizens and tourists waving their hands and shouting encouragement. I interacted with them, giving them thumbs up. This is the joy and satisfaction of running the marathon in my hometown.

That year, @LettuceTip, who ran the entire course with me, said, 'The course is so beautiful that our phones can't capture its beauty. Let's just remember it in our minds.' Then I took the small loudspeaker handed to me by @PhotographerPeanut and shouted 'Go, go' in the Qingdao dialect.

That year, I tasted delicious clams and dried shrimp, sweet white fungus soup, hot ginger tea, and heartwarming watermelon, pineapple, winter jujube, and tangerine. There was also a bottle of refreshing energy drink, two bottles of fatigue-relief drink, and three bottles of the popular 'immortal water.' After finishing the race, we took out the Qingdao beer from our finisher's bags and toasted with salads that could be refilled.

That year, every member of our MORE running group, who are not family but more than family, accompanied me and gave me strength. The group member 'Head,' whom I often mention, fell in love with this city after running that year's marathon and left Shanxi to start a nine-to-five life in Qingdao.

That year, a few days after the race, I heard from the organizing committee staff that a restaurant along the race route had caught fire, and the smoke quickly spread to the course. Fortunately, the main group had not yet reached the smoke-covered section. With the assistance of the police, the organizing committee promptly decided to reroute the course, and the official measurer quickly adjusted the course distance. The emergency response was swift and decisive, and everything was orderly. Immersed in the beautiful course, we were completely unaware of the incident.

Mr. Zhou Guoping once said—

'To live a meaningful life, one must have something they truly love to do. This passion comes from their true nature. They enjoy doing it simply because they find it inherently beautiful and are attracted by its beauty.'

For me, the Qingdao Marathon has been such an attraction from the very beginning.

Before the 2018 Qingdao Marathon, I was awarded the title of 'Qingdao Marathon Dream Ambassador.' This is an honor and an encouragement for me to pass on the marathon dream, attitude, spirit, and sense of social responsibility, to inspire and help more people who genuinely love sports. This also brought me closer to the world behind the scenes of the Qingdao Marathon.

I, along with the Qingdao Marathon organizing committee and Qingdao runners, planned and organized a series of training camps, launched poverty alleviation initiatives, and recruited and selected the 'Most Beautiful Running Group,' gathering the beauty of positive energy to spread dreams and strength. Just filming the stories of the 'Most Beautiful Running Group,' we gave up all our holidays during that period, traveling between ten grassroots runners to record their most ordinary and real stories.

And these are just a few of my experiences. More importantly, it was the day-and-night countdown of every staff member of the organizing committee.

That year, the route was upgraded, covering almost all the famous coastal attractions in Qingdao, fully showcasing the unique charm of Qingdao as the Sailing City and the SCO City.

That year, the supplies were upgraded to satisfy the picky taste buds of the runners: Wanggezhuang steamed buns, Qingdao old shrimp paste, dried shrimp, seaweed egg drop soup, seafood porridge, silver fish, chicken fillet sandwiches, meat floss bread, and salads were all available.

That year, CCTV5 broadcasted 160 minutes of live coverage, fully showcasing Qingdao's beautiful scenery and the vibrant atmosphere of the event.

That year, under the organizing committee's public welfare initiative, our MORE running group and I became pacers for wheelchair runners for the first time. This 'Barrier-Free with Love' Qingdao Marathon became a precious memory filled with laughter, tears, and touching moments. What impressed me the most was the unwavering smile of Wu Lianqing, a wheelchair runner and Vietnam War veteran, who kept smiling and thanking the organizing committee and pacers after finishing the race. In stark contrast to his resilience and optimism were the tears of his pacers, Wang Xianxun and Geng Bo, after accompanying him to the finish line.

That year, 'Becoming a Cheerleader on the Way to the Wedding' became a trending topic. On that auspicious wedding day, a local Qingdao couple's wedding was delayed because their hotel was just across the street from the race route. They cooperated by stopping their convoy and cheered for the runners in their wedding attire. The organizing committee later coordinated a sanitation vehicle to take the couple to the hotel and invited them to the committee to thank them in person and present them with carefully prepared Qingdao Marathon souvenirs. This couple, who always had smiles on their faces, thus formed a bond with the marathon.

That year, Qingdao's Deputy Mayor Luan Xin waited at the finish line for the last runner to arrive. The final bouquet of flowers was not just encouragement but also a tribute to the runner who persevered to the end.

If the first year of the Qingdao Marathon was merely an attraction for me, the second year made me proud and honored. Because of love, companionship, and the countless surprises and touching moments that unfolded before my eyes.

So you see, the beauty of life lies in being with everything you love. Like that couple who, on their important wedding day, encountered road closures due to the marathon, didn't get angry or complain. Such interesting souls are destined to attract each other.

True happiness is not living like someone else but loving and persisting according to your own wishes. Do what you love, love who you love, and spend time on beautiful things. And in this process, slow down occasionally, don't rush, let your soul catch up with your steps, enjoy the leisurely bloom of life, and rediscover some unintentional poetic beauty.

I want to shout out loud that my love for you is deep and boundless.

Because of this year's Qingdao Marathon, I turned down all event invitations from two weeks before the race until a week after. There is no reason, just because it is the Qingdao Marathon. Many people around me are like me, crossing mountains and seas, and navigating through crowds, just to meet it.

That year, the expo coincided with the May Day holiday. Besides participants from around the world, many tourists also came to check in, making the scene bustling. In the evening, the Qingdao Marathon-themed light show lit up the coastal area, with running animations weaving through buildings, showcasing Qingdao's strength and charm.

That year, the marathon coincided with the centenary of the May Fourth Movement and started at May Fourth Square, promoting the positive new trend of healthy exercise. This alone made it extraordinarily significant.

That year, from the pre-race event app to the orderly start, from the unique supply stations, music cheering stations, and drum stations along the road, to the sailors sailing on the sea, everything made the Qingdao Marathon more exciting! The post-race recovery and interaction area, with professional event service standards, also provided runners with an extraordinary experience.

That year, the police escort team and emergency runners ensured the safety of the Qingdao Marathon. During the event, we saw officers carrying elderly people who had difficulty walking but were anxious to cross the road, ensuring race order while helping them.

That year, the number of wheelchair runners increased from 10 to 35. Besides Qingdao's beautiful scenery, the city's support and assistance for their resilience and determination also played a role.

That year, actor Tony Leung volunteered to run with the visually impaired team, helping dream chasers finish safely and promoting the concept of inclusive running.

That year, the Capital Media Running Group ran with the Qingdao Marathon for the second year. After the race, the star runners remarked: 'Running this date with the sea breeze again, we still love and feel this city through running. The Qingdao Marathon is bound to enter the ranks of China's top marathons.'

That year, I witnessed a proposal at the finish line. Although I had heard many romantic stories at the finish line, experiencing it up close at the finish line closest to the sea made me and everyone else sigh: Love is truly a beautiful thing.

That year, Sports Bureau Director Che Jinghua and Deputy Secretary-General Yu Dongquan waited at the finish line, welcoming the last runner after six hours of waiting.

That year, I continued on the path of discovering, creating, and spreading beauty. When life aesthetics meets the marathon, every step we take in the Qingdao Marathon is a vibrant move forward. It is an attitude towards life and a warm art. It emphasizes that our happiness index comes not only from material satisfaction but also from the inner richness gained through running. I chose to use a live broadcast to tell the beauty of the Qingdao Marathon, sharing every exciting moment, every cheer, and every seemingly unintentional but warm moment.

After running and broadcasting the entire race, my voice was a bit hoarse when I returned to the finish arch, but my heart was full and enriched. I interviewed the Qingdao Marathon finishers, listening to their stories. When the race clock showed 6 hours and 15 minutes, I finally completed a live broadcast of my hometown marathon until the closing, achieving 16.81 million views.

That year, my whole family participated. My parents no longer watched the live broadcast on TV but joined the health run. At the finish line, my mom sent me a message: 'Shanshan, your dad and I finished safely. We've decided to train well this year and sign up for a half marathon next year!' At that moment, as the 2019 Qingdao Marathon closing ceremony ended, I thought about the 365 days of waiting ahead and stood under the sun, gazing at the arch for a long time.

The Qingdao Marathon, which went viral on social media, is truly beautiful.

It's been a long time since I wrote such a long article. Thank you for reading this far.

We cannot foresee every detail of the future, but we can connect the dots when looking back at the past. So believe that in the future, every bit you experience will connect in some way.

A few days ago on Weibo, a runner left me a message: 'If you don't like my post back, I'll unfollow you.' I replied, 'First, I apologize. But if you follow or unfollow just for likes, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. It's not about etiquette; if I have time, I'll definitely like back. But I have so many likes to return. With that time, I'd rather bring everyone a content-rich sports live broadcast, so I apologize again.'

There are too many misunderstandings and hearsay in life, but only what you experience is real. For me, the Qingdao Marathon is a marathon I will run until I can't run anymore. In these three years, we know that the Qingdao Marathon has been growing, constantly refreshing surprises and touching moments. What we don't know is that each year's grand event is composed of ten thousand things. Just take this year's massive Qingdao Marathon data—

Over 5,000 police officers

Over 3,000 security personnel

More than 190 medical staff

600 medical volunteers

80 AED volunteers

80 physician runners and emergency runners

80 police runners

2,816 university student volunteers

Over 100 media workers

More than 60 official photographers

160 referees

40 official pacers

22 ambulances

21 medical points

78 defibrillators

190,000 bottles of water

187 bus trips

35,000 cooling sponges

300 portable toilets

Nearly 30,000 race insurance policies

Over 100 days of day-and-night event preparation

...

Yes, this is my beautiful hometown, Qingdao. I am more than willing to cheer for the excellent Qingdao Marathon!

What will the 2020 Qingdao Marathon be like? What will I be like running in the 2020 Qingdao Marathon? I haven't decided yet, but I will definitely continue to tell you about the most beautiful Qingdao Marathon. I will always remember how I stood at the starting line of each year's marathon: with anticipation, smiles, and your companionship.

Hi, you in front of the screen, if you missed the Qingdao Marathon these past three years, it's okay. As the saying goes:You don't need to rush. You read your book first, and I'll run a Qingdao Marathon. One day, we will be together, reading the same book and running the same marathon.