Xiamen International Marathon staged

Sandra Nauta
Student Xiamen University

Dutch

Category: 10
kilometers

A great start

I am an exchange student from Amsterdam University in Holland and I was delighted to have the opportunity to study Chinese for six months at Xiamen University. I was really excited at the chance to run a 10K at the Xiamen International Marathon.

To prepare for the run, I ran twice a week along the coast. With its beautiful scenery and clean air, Xiamen is a great place to exercise. My dad is a marathon runner and he truly kept me inspired. He offered his help enthusiastically and provided me with training advice and a schedule. I hope he will have the opportunity to run the Xiamen Marathon someday.

It was a beautiful sunny day. There were enthusiastic people everywhere and the event was well organized. The starting line was packed and I could only walk for the first kilometer. I ran with a Chinese friend and we managed to find our way through the crowd. We had no idea at what pace we were running until we reached the finish line.

Running in the Xiamen Marathon was a glorious experience. I hope that my story motivates others to participate in sports and benefit from the positive energy it bestows. Personally, my New Year s resolution to stay fit is off to a fantastic start.

Benoist Come
NKM Noell
Special Cranes
French
Category: Full
marathon
Time: 4 hours and 6 minutes

No risk no fun

I once read in history class the legend of a Greek warrior who ran a great distance from the city of Marathon to Athens to announce the Athenian victory in battle, after which he promptly died. I always wonder why someone would choose to hurt oneself. Later I learned that progress comes through facing difficulties.

I decided to take the risk and test my limits. One friend told me no risk, no fun. I have run several 10-kilometer races with a personal best of 39 minutes and two half-marathons with a personal best of 96 minutes.

I had heard much about the Xiamen International Marathon since I arrived here two years ago. I wanted to do something special to memorialize my time in Xiamen. Running my first marathon here was a true milestone.

After finding the courage to register for the marathon, I committed to squeezing in time for training. The weather in Xiamen is perfect in fall for training outdoors. My biggest problem was not over-indulging during Christmas and New Year celebrations. As a Frenchman, it can be rather difficult to resist the temptation of delicious food.

Over the past two months I have run almost 240 kilometers. I trained three times a week and played soccer twice a week. Training alone was difficult because I tended to run slowly to avoid injury.

I was amazed at the ability of the organizing committee to manage so many volunteers and staff. Onlookers cheered on both sides of the road, which was encouraging. I became so emotional when I reached the finish line that I almost burst into tears.

David Powell
Language editor Common Talk Weekly

American
Category: Full marathon
Time: 3 hours and 44 minutes

Marathon in three acts

This year s Xiamen Marathon offered all the highs and lows for which the sport is famed: the ecstasy of a massively communal event, the agony of the body, the thrill of the finish line. In fact, it was like a play in three acts transporting me and my fellow runners to new places in our bodies and in our souls.

The buildup

The day began with promise. As I made my way to the starting line, I was engulfed by a sea of strangers coming together to test the limits of the human body.

The rush of adrenalin and the roar of the crowd carried us through the first kilometers of the marathon. I even had time to revel in the beauty of the coastline and the joy of my fellow runners. I had prepared well and, despite lingering jetlag, had visions of a strong finish.

The groove

After the first ten kilometers, I settled into the race. I was running at a steady clip and assessed my chances. It was a mixed bag. I was maintaining my goal pace but was the effort more than it should have been?

At about the halfway point the real test began. I was still holding pace and for a few kilometers I continued to do so, but I could feel the metaphorical storm clouds brewing. I assessed my reserves -- not good.

The pain

And then it happened. At the 30 kilometer mark I met every runner s nemesis: the Wall. I have run marathons where I could hold pace to the end -- this was not to be that marathon.

My pace began an alarming decline. Pain began to consume my muscles until I was one big throbbing mess. I buckled down, resigned myself to a slow pace and pushed to the finish line. After a brief sprint at the end, I collapsed in that crazy mix of exhaustion and elation that defines the marathon.

I savored the cool heft of the finisher s medal around my neck. It was a heck of a way to start the year.

Ewa Walters
Huisman Company Zhangzhou
Dutch
Category: Full marathon
Time: 4 hours and 9 minutes

Running for charity?Company Zhan?

I grew up in the countryside in the north of the Netherlands. There were primarily boys in my neighborhood and I played outdoor sports with them such as street soccer, rollerblading, swimming, tennis and later horseback riding. As a university student I had less money to spend and I took up running a few times per week. After I graduated, I started playing league squash in a team of four women, a sport I still play every week.

I heard of the Xiamen marathon when I moved here three years ago. Two of my squash group partners here talked about training together for the marathon, which gave me the final push. I started my first shorter runs once a week in April, gradually increasing my training through the summer on a treadmill to avoid the intense outdoor heat.

It is quite common to run for a charity in the West. When a friend of mine asked if I was running for charity, I decided to run for a school located in Longhai for the mentally disabled children. Our company has been supporting that school since 2007. Running for charity was a wonderful motivator while training. I collected almost 75,000 yuan in charitable contributions, an amount that my company will double, all of which was way beyond my expectations. We will buy some playground equipment such as slides and swings for the school with the donations.

I received amazing support both in Xiamen and from my friends in my home country.

Before the marathon, I was nervous and excited because I knew there would be thousands of spectators cheering along the route. Their encouragement inspired me to finish the race on Sunday. I was impressed that the event was so well organized -- countless volunteers helped with the race and provided food and water every few kilometers. There was so much to see along the beautiful course.

After completing my first marathon ever here in Xiamen, I felt I could conquer the world and face every problem. And I am so happy we can give these lovely children their playground so they will have fun too.

Markus Franze
Student Xiamen University

Germany
Category: Half marathon
Time: 2 hours and 23 minutes

No place like the finish line

This was my second time participating in the Xiamen International Marathon. I joined the half-marathon with my Chinese friend. My goal was to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and finish in a reasonable time.

With its beautiful scenery and mild climate, Xiamen is a perfect place to participate in outdoor sports. I frequently trained on the campus of Xiamen University, along the Ring Road and on the nearby beaches.

What I enjoy most about distance running is that it teaches a few basic truths about life. Though the goal may be distant and the path can get tough, three things are of great help in staying the course and reaching the finish line: Concentrate on one step at a time; Rely on your running mates, and; Accept the support of your friends who cheer for you.

Sunday s race was similar to last year -- the morning air was a bit chilly and the starting zone at the Xiamen Conference and Exhibition Center was bustling with excited and expectant people. As the starting time neared, the tension and noise level rose until at the signal peeled out and thousands of runners surged forward like a huge dragon making its way to the coastline. As much as I enjoyed the beginning of the run, there is no place like the finish line.

Bart Roepke
English teacher Xiamen WECL English School

American
Category: 5 kilometers
Time: 50 minutes

My first race in China

About a year ago, I was teaching in Jiaxing when I caught the Xiamen International Marathon on television. I was deeply impressed by the beautiful course along the beach and next to the rolling hills with their copious palm trees. This year, I was here running the 5K at the Xiamen Marathon event.

I decided to run because I wanted to participate in my first race ever in China. I have been a runner almost my entire life -- in my younger years I competed in multiple races every year, everything from the 5K to the full marathon. I am a bit older now but I still enjoy occasionally testing myself in a short race.

To prepare for the race, I ran about 30 minutes almost every morning. I ate healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables and cut back on sweets and junk food.

The largest marathon race I had run previously was about 5,000 runners. So far, this was the largest event in which I participated. There were a total of 64,000 runners in the four categories of full marathon, half-marathon, 10 kilometers and five kilometers.

All four race lengths started simultaneously at 8:00 a.m. It was certainly interesting that the organizing committee planned a single start time for all the events and runners. I finished the five-kilometer race in 50 minutes on Sunday because I could barely run for half of the race. From http://www.common-talk.com