dont want winter fly to warm guangzhou for a marathon

As the saying goes, 'What you think about day and night will eventually come to fruition.' Back then, I took a boat tour on the Pearl River from Tianzi Wharf, tasted the local trends at Shangxiajiu, visited the morning tea shops frequented by locals, the Nanyue King Museum, the Five Rams Statue, Baiyun Mountain... All these memories have been rekindled with this Guangzhou Marathon, burning hot and fervent!

Following the southbound train, I finally arrived in Guangzhou at dusk. After dropping off my luggage and shedding my heavy winter clothes, I headed straight to the Canton Tower (Xiaomanyao) that I had been longing to see. In fact, Guangzhou in December wasn't as hot as I had imagined. Walking along the Pearl River at night was still a bit chilly, but it couldn't dampen the fervor in my heart.

This time, I finally learned that these beautiful flowers are called bougainvillea. Happily, I took a satisfying photo. I saw on my social media that Lao A and Shunshun had already arrived in Guangzhou and were enjoying a feast. Squid, Xiaoyou, Lipstick Weiwei, and others had also taken photos with Xiaomanyao, showing off their long legs. Meanwhile, Huihui was on a southbound train with friends from Shanghai, celebrating a friend's birthday...

I am super happy that I have had an inseparable bond with Guangzhou this year. On Valentine's Day at the beginning of the year, I received a notification from the Xiamen Marathon pacer. After closing seven races in a year, I was finally going to close the Guangzhou Marathon at the end of the year. I took over the baton from my partner Dao Ge from last year and, with my new partners, contributed my part to the Guangzhou Marathon!

They say 'staying up late' is because you can't bear to let the day end, and 'lingering in bed' is because you can't bear to let the day begin...

I don't usually have a habit of morning runs, but I got up early at 6:30 AM, deciding to go for a morning (walk) run—to find Yinjie Rice Noodles! Injecting energy into this day!

Guangzhou's food is not limited to this. To eat more, I didn't even meet up with Zhuangzhuang in the morning, even though we were just one subway stop apart. Of course, this bowl of shark fin soup didn't disappoint me. The fish maw in the soup was tender and flavorful, paired with plump rice. This pre-race carb load was perfect, and the chewy curry squid balls made me want another serving!

The route of the Guangzhou Marathon had been highly recommended by local expert Zhou Yijia in the pacer group: 'One river, two banks, two bridges, two tunnels. A sea of flowers along the way, lion dances in Liede Village, music cheer stations with long-legged girls under Xiaomanyao, the arcade buildings before Renmin Bridge, and the enthusiasm of the traditional Guangzhou city people after crossing Renmin Bridge. Handsome, very impressive!' With great anticipation, I headed straight to the exhibition center at Pazhou Station to experience the passion of the Guangzhou Marathon!

After a relatively smooth experience picking up race materials, I entered the venue and saw many old friends I had just met last week. Chatting and taking photos together is the best way to prove we were there. After all, every time we head to a different city, it's for these lovely smiling faces.

Finally, it was time to meet the pacers. I had been nervously preparing for my first long-distance trail race and, although I followed the group messages, I never spoke up. Meeting the members of the sweep team made me feel shy. Under the introduction of the team leader Xiuxiu, everyone greeted each other bashfully.

From left to right: Xiao Wu, me, team leader Xiuxiu, Fangfang, Xiaohua, missing Panpan and Brother Pei

They say you shouldn't drink before a race, but every time we meet, we have a little drink to catch up and wish each other a successful race tomorrow, surpassing our past selves!

I don't dare to drink like Squid, who says, 'There's no one who can drink here,' but when it comes to eating, I'm not afraid. 'You look ruthless, just like the first time we met for skewers,' is Dao Ge's comment on me...

As the old saying on the Pearl River bottle goes, 'Life may not have many pursuits, but I pay attention to every detail.' A little pre-race drink, and a marathon PB is naturally in sight! After eating my fill, I went back early to prepare my gear for tomorrow. Following international practice, it's time for a pre-race photo!

Of all the supplies, lipstick is a must!

Got up around 4 AM, got myself ready, cooked some salt and carb-replenishing instant noodles for Lao Yu and my junior sister, and left early at 5:40 AM. On the way, I saw many runners heading to the sports center, feeling more and more excited. It might also be because of the cold in Guangzhou. I thought it would only be cold in the morning, but the runny nose journey had just begun...

At dawn, I saw the Kexiang Guangzhou Marathon team already starting to record the hurried runners. Before the race, I met Vivi, the first female finisher of UTMB Macau last year. Having just completed 70 kilometers, I couldn't imagine running 168 kilometers in two days, with no sleep, no showers, and no brushing teeth. For every girl who loves beauty, overcoming these challenges is not easy. Thank you for waiting for our 615 group at the finish line, making me want to be a strong and cute girl like you!

The DC Guangzhou Marathon team also had a hard time finding each other among tens of thousands of people at the starting point. Of course, we were still missing 4.5.6.7 people... Everyone achieved remarkable results in the relatively cold Guangzhou Marathon. Congratulations to Kivi for a full marathon PB of 3:30, and Bao Bao for a sweet 5:20 finish. DC, Chuan!

Smiling before the race, the sweep team is ready. Guangzhou Marathon, here we come!!

Accompanied by flowers along the way and the warm sun by our side, today’s Guangzhou wasn’t too cold. For fast runners, it was perfect weather for a PB. Slowly pacing, enjoying the riverside scenery along the Pearl River, admiring Xiaomanyao and the cheering crowds. The air was filled with cheers of 'Beautiful girl, keep going!' Yes, not only are we cheering, but you are also working hard!

Chatting and laughing with my partners, six hours didn't feel tough. We had our team backbone Xiuxiu, photographer and videographer Song Xiaohua, supply provider Brother Pei, pace checker Fangfang and Panpan, and Xiao Wu, who kept everyone entertained with me. Although it was our first collaboration, we got into the groove immediately, being seasoned runners on the track. Happy cooperation is the essence of our sweep team!

The Guangzhou Marathon track not only had colorful flower barriers but also the cutest volunteers and cheering crowds. Their cheers, high-fives, water cups, and smiles made this winter bloom with the most beautiful flowers, letting every runner on the track feel the warmth of the Guangzhou Marathon!

Running past the drum-beating Liede Village, seeing the energetic cheerleaders, halfway through the race, after two tunnels, I had been drinking sweet sports drinks all the way. My energy was gradually depleting, so it was time for a salty Xiaoman salted egg yolk cereal bar to relieve hunger and inject energy for the second half.

After crossing the bridge and passing several wharves, I ran past the Marshal's Mansion and the site of the first National Labor Congress. I think this is the benefit of running the closing race. Running along the tree-lined avenue, seeing Guangzhou's new and old cityscapes, witnessing historical changes, feeling the city's past, present, and then running towards the future!

The temperature displayed on the wharf monitor was 17 degrees, but an average pace of 8:30 per kilometer didn't warm me up. It might also be because I had just run 70 kilometers last week and hadn't fully recovered. My frequency of bathroom breaks was noticeably higher than usual. At 30 kilometers, I realized I had dropped the entire pack of 8 salt tablets I brought, instantly losing my sense of security! Since suffering from a lack of salt tablets in September, carrying salt tablets has become a basic principle for me.

Thank you, Guangzhou Marathon!

Although Guangzhou, a southern city, wasn't very warm today, the Guangzhou Marathon track had supply stations and private supplies all along the way, which was very heartwarming!

They say a full marathon isn't 42 kilometers but the last few kilometers, the toughest physical limit. After closing seven full marathons this year, I can no longer remember the discomfort of hitting the wall. Watching runners endure leg cramps and still persist, just like the old me running in the rain, bleeding and crying but never giving up. Besides giving them energy gels and encouragement, I also led them through the checkpoints, helping them continue to achieve their Guangzhou Marathon dreams!

You may not be the youngest or the most handsome, but your persistence and determination are beautiful! After passing the 40k checkpoint, we didn't have much time left. Accompanied by flowers along the way, we slowly approached the finish line of this Guangzhou Marathon—Haixinsha Asian Games Park.

Heart gesture, I think, is the action we interacted with the most with everyone. Big and small heart gestures are our way of expressing love and gratitude for your hard work!

6 hours and 15 minutes together

We saw the beautiful scenery of Guangzhou, never getting enough of the smiles

We heard cheers in various accents, never getting enough of the stories

We tasted the food at every supply station, never getting enough of the warmth

Thank you for each other's encouragement, making this Guangzhou Marathon task so easy and fun. The closer it got, the more reluctant we felt. Thank you, Guangzhou Marathon, we successfully completed our pacing task!

A celebratory drink is a must after the race! To celebrate my old partner Dao successfully breaking four hours and achieving a personal best, I took a one-and-a-half-hour subway ride to the banquet right after the race. The restaurant called 'Salon Eating Fish' made me think it was a hair salon. I am also very grateful to Dao for treating us to desserts and milk tea; otherwise, this Guangzhou trip would have been incomplete!

After this meal, everyone had to go their separate ways. Hopefully, we can all get selected again next year and meet on the track!

Before leaving, I arranged to visit Shamian with pacer Yang. The light and shadows in the afternoon were particularly beautiful. Touching the century-old brick walls, watching children run like beautiful flowers, sipping Asian sarsaparilla, feeling the old Guangzhou. Grateful for the encounter!

Tired of winter, weary of the heaviness

Just fly to warm Guangzhou to run a marathon

Running a marathon is joyful, may you be joyful

Only by letting go of the wrong can you meet the right

In fact, making the right friends

Even cloud running is joyful

Goodbye, Guangzhou

See you next year, Guangzhou Marathon