Father-son marathoners find that where there's a will, there's a way

SHENZHEN — At the 2023 Shenzhen Marathon in Guangdong province, 45-year-old Luo Shujian crossed the finish line pushing a special stroller in which his 13-year-old son Xiaobai, who has cerebral palsy, was sitting wearing a helmet. 

Xiaobai's mother and sister joined in celebrations of the 56th marathon run by the father and son since 2015 via video call.

Luo finished the half-marathon race in Shenzhen in an hour and 59 minutes. The duo's first full marathon took them five hours and 40 minutes to complete. But by practicing hard, they have been able to reduce that to a personal best of 3 hours and 28 minutes.

Complications when Xiaobai was born resulted in a lack of oxygen to his brain, causing damage, and he was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy. It took him two years to learn how to walk, and epilepsy affects his cognitive abilities.

Although he cannot express emotion in words, he shows them through expressions and gestures.

For most of his life, Xiaobai will likely be confined to the house, but his father has not given up on giving his son a full and happy life.

After reading about United States marathoner Dick Hoyt and his son online, Luo was inspired to follow suit.

Hoyt's son Rick also has cerebral palsy, so his father had a special stroller made so he could take his son with him to marathons. Together, the pair ran over 1,000 races before Hoyt died in 2021.

Luo, who works long hours as a courier and had no previous sporting experience, had to find time in the morning to work on his fitness. He gets up at 4 am to jog or cycle before work.

Even in a stroller, marathons are also a challenge for Xiaobai.

"In many ways, Xiaobai behaves just like a runner. He will be excited when he's in good health, and lack energy when he's not feeling as well," Luo said.

Luo has worked on his pace to ensure his son feels happy and safe during runs. In addition to marathons, the duo also competes in triathlons and cycling events.

Xiaobai likes to watch the world from his stroller during races, clapping and smiling to show his delight.

The other runners show kindness and positive energy, cheering them on as they pass.

Their marathon adventure has taken them to Chengdu in Sichuan province to see pandas, to Beijing to climb the Great Wall, and to Lanzhou in Gansu province to take photos along the Yellow River.

Luo plans to keep running with his son to allow Xiaobai to live the best life he can.

Xinhua