It is the water of the Yellow River that never stops flowing in the Wild Child's 'Ballad of the Yellow River,' flowing past homes, flowing past Lanzhou...

It is in Song Dongye's 'Miss Dong,' where he sings, 'Stranger, please give me a Lanzhou...

It is in Low Wormwood's 'Lanzhou, Lanzhou,' with the desolate cry: 'Lanzhou, oh Lanzhou...

Chasing after an authentic bowl of Lanzhou beef noodles, I arrived at the Lanzhou Marathon.

The choice of marathon often reveals the indecisiveness of a Libra. Last year, I registered and got selected but missed it due to hesitation. This year, after much deliberation, Lanzhou—here I come!

Lanzhou is the only provincial capital city where the Yellow River flows through the city center. It doesn't have many famous attractions, and most people use Lanzhou as a transit city for western China tours. From the plane, you can see the undulating mountains. I've heard that Lanzhou Airport is far from the city, and it truly lives up to its reputation—it's the farthest airport I've ever experienced, about 70 kilometers from the city center.

The city is filled with marathon slogans everywhere—on the railings along the roads, on the LED displays of taxis and buses, and in various restaurants. It feels like the entire city and its people are contributing their efforts to the marathon. Every time I go out for a run, I see people wearing race shirts and carrying race bags. When our eyes meet, there's a mutual recognition—yes, you are the closest person to me when I'm away from home. This feeling is quite magical; although we don't know each other, it feels like we're friends.

Lanzhou beef noodles are famous nationwide. I came here for an authentic bowl, only to find out that in Lanzhou, there's only beef noodles, not ramen, and the meat and noodles are ordered separately. A beautiful day for Lanzhou residents often starts with this bowl of beef noodles. The same large porcelain bowl, the chef grabbing scallions and cilantro by hand, generously adding a few spoonfuls of chili oil, splashing it outside the bowl, making it greasy. Eating it, you get it all over your face and hands, accompanied by the slurping sounds. Lanzhou beef noodles don't seem to be that particular—whether you're well-dressed or penniless, after eating this bowl in the morning, everything from yesterday will vanish. At this moment, I feel like I'm not eating noodles but a sentiment.

Every city has a snack street, and Lanzhou is no exception. The Zhengning Road Night Market is famous for the legendary 'Old Ma's Egg and Milk Fermented Rice.'

At the night market, I found many 'Old Ma's' stalls, with many identical white-bearded grandpas, like copy-paste. Judging by the length of the queue, I picked a long line to join. The fermented rice, eggs, milk, with added black sesame, peanuts, and raisins, was sweet and delicious.

On Zhengning Road, there's also a 'Fang Ha' coffee shop. Later, I learned that 'Fang Ha' means 'put down.' I wondered why a shop named 'coffee' mainly sold 'sweet fermented milk tea.' The cup was heavy, no exaggeration, a super large cup, not too sweet, with a perfect taste. After queuing for a long time, it was indeed worth it.

In Lanzhou, where it gets dark around 9 PM, with good wine and meat, I once doubted whether there should be four meals a day here. Lanzhou, my daydream, eating everything.

After eating this bowl of beef noodles, see you on the race track.

The Lanzhou Marathon starts at 7:30 AM. By then, the sun is already high. The temperature in Lanzhou is lower than in Jinan, but the UV rays are intense. I covered myself in sunscreen, using up an entire bottle of spray, giving me a sense of 'security.'

At the start of the run, my foodie habits made me anxious—beef noodles, sweet fermented milk tea, crystal cake, stuffed skin, apricot peel tea, sour soup noodles... I felt them all tangled and pulling in my stomach, making me afraid to speed up.

The marathon track has its own unique charm, which only those who have run the Lanzhou Marathon can understand.

On the Lanzhou Marathon track, the youthful and beautiful girls are undoubtedly the most beautiful scenery. Under the scorching sun, they hold up kilometer signs, cheering and encouraging everyone. They tirelessly keep smiling, ensuring every runner sees the brightest smile.

Accompanied by the rolling Yellow River, blue skies, white clouds, and beautiful girls, everyone runs joyfully, sometimes forgetting who they are and where they are. Smiles convey strength, and many passing handsome guys ask to take photos with the girls, climbing up and down, jumping left and right. Aren't you afraid of cramps?

When you come, you will be well received.

I finished the Lanzhou Marathon in 4 hours and 9 minutes with ease. Throughout the race, there was no fatigue or hitting the wall, just the sight of Lanzhou's people and the sound of their cheers. The enthusiasm of the Lanzhou Marathon was present for all 42 kilometers. The entire city's people were giving their all, with veins bulging, creating a feeling of 'you are the protagonist.' Many students kept shouting, 'Sister, keep going! Sister, keep going!' I was thrilled.

There were also a few northwestern men with heavy accents shouting, 'My Chinese heart, keep going!' I was amused, but I ran that kilometer very fast. The enthusiasm of Lanzhou's people really surprised me. At first, I was not used to it, getting goosebumps. When I high-fived them, their strength almost knocked me over, so I later just gave them thumbs up.

Every time I cross the finish line, it's a rebirth. After the race, I was sunburned but received a shiny medal, said to weigh over 400 grams, double gold and double heart, the heaviest medal in domestic marathons, reflecting the boldness of northwestern people.

Measure with your feet, discover with your eyes, and experience with your heart.

42 kilometers changed my impression of this city.

A cup of Sanpao tea, a bowl of beef noodles, a stretch of the Yellow River, a marathon.

Made me remember this summer in the Golden City.

Lanzhou, rugged yet not lacking in gentleness.

The Lanzhou Marathon, worth the trip.

The Lanzhou Marathon, unforgettable for a lifetime.

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