MARATHON MAN

Age is no barrier for athlete who seems to defy nature as he runs in one event after another, Li Yingxue reports.

Inspiration can take many forms－great endeavors, artworks and scientific discoveries. Marathon runners, especially those who seem to defy the normal laws of physics, can also be included in this group, as was seen at the 2021 Xiamen Marathon. The event kicked off at 7 am on April 10. One inspirational competitor in particular caught the public's attention among the tens of thousands of runners. He even had a sign on his back stating"81 years old from Xiamen, Fujian province, Liu Yongren has finished 109 full marathons and 167 half-marathons".

After hitting the finish line a very credible five or so hours later, Liu finished his 110th full marathon. For the past six decades, running has been part of his life and he plans to continue until he hits the 100-year mark.

"My greatest happiness comes from running. If one day I can't finish a full marathon, I can go after a half-marathon. And even if one day I cannot finish 10 kilometers, I'll do 5 kilometers," he says.

Born in 1940, Liu picked up the habit of running at the age of 13, when his grandmother fell ill and he had to run a dozen kilometers to the village to find a doctor.

"The next day I woke up, surprisingly, not exhausted but refreshed," Liu recalls.

He started to practice running at a nearby stadium and took part in the city's 5,000 and 10,000-meter race for several years.

He worked as a porter at the seafront pier and had to haul heavy goods from ships to the warehouse back and forth before he retired in 2000.

Three years later, he ran his first full marathon in his hometown－the inaugural Xiamen marathon. This led to an incredible run of 110 marathons.

"For my first marathon, I got leg cramp at about 28 kilometers, and I walked for around 12 kilometers. At the end, I heard the audience cheering me toward the finish line, so I started to run again," Liu recalls.

"It took me nearly 5 hours to finish my first full marathon," he adds.

He was, then, a sprightly 63.

His race number for this year's Xiamen marathon was 799－he picked the number as his permanent one in 2014 when he finished the marathon for the 10th time.

The marathon was launched in 2003, and Liu has never missed any edition. The race organizers honored those who completed 10 full marathons with permanent race numbers.

According to Liu Dong, who is responsible for processing the applications of the permanent numbers at the organizing committee of the Xiamen marathon, by the end of 2020, 857 runners had been given numbers.

Each runner needs to submit online evidence of competing in the marathons, Liu Dong says.

"There are eight people who qualified in 2013 and 19 in 2014 and the number is growing each year," Liu Dong says. "They can automatically earn the qualification to run the Xiamen marathon for free, and there are special services for them during the race."

Liu Yongren says in 2008 he ran the marathon but didn't finish because he had to catch a flight to Beijing for an event related to the Beijing Olympics. That's why he is qualified to have a permanent number after 11 years.

He says to maintain a long running career, one has to know when to give up.

"Besides my finishing full and half-marathons, there are several times that I didn't make it to the end. Sometimes, giving up is a kind of victory," he says.

Liu Yongren says he would give up a marathon once he feels he is totally exhausted.

He says he likes to share his running stories with young people. He has visited around 20 high schools in Xiamen to give speeches to the students about his understanding of the spirit of the marathon in the past decade.

"Some students still keep in touch with me as they go to college or start their own businesses and share with me their progress in life. I'm glad my stories can inspire them," he says.

Contact the writer at liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn