Running into dream role

Chen Zhigang, an enterprise trainer from Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province, will see his dream come true by participating in the first sporting event open to the general public in the history of the Olympic Games.

On the evening of Aug 10, more than 40,000 amateur runners will embark on the same course as the Olympic marathoners in a mass race, the route of which is identical to that of the Olympic Marathon, which is highly symbolic.

Inspired by the route of the Women's March on Versailles on Oct 5 and 6, 1789 — a crucial event in France's history — the route will depart from central Paris, taking runners through the city to Versailles, passing the city's most iconic landmarks and monuments.

"The mass running event provides an opportunity where ordinary people can share the same path as the athletes competing for Olympic titles, as long as you fall in love with running," Chen, 37, says.

Born in 1987 in Deyang, Sichuan province, he first participated in a 10-kilometer mini marathon event in 2015. Finishing it in 55 minutes gave Chen the confidence to try his hand at various races from the half-marathon and full marathon to the triathlon.

As an enterprise trainer, Chen always feels exhausted from his high-intensity work. Running provides him a way out, which has a "healing" function in his life.

When he heard that the Paris Olympics organizing committee had announced the establishment of a mass marathon at the Paris Olympics in 2022, Chen made a wish — to run during the Olympic Games.

According to the rules, participants are eligible to participate if they accumulate 100,000 points through a variety of sports, such as running, cycling and swimming.

To accumulate points, Chen ran distances up to 20 km with every 1 km earning 10 points. From Sept 1, 2020 to Aug 23, Chen ran at least 10 km per day on average. In 1,087 days, he ran a total distance of 13,023.3 km. Besides running, he also went to the gym for strength training and clambered up stairs to improve his physical fitness.

After a hard day's training, his wife Luo Dandan helps him relax and do muscle stretches.

Talking about the whole process of "running" in the Olympic Games, Chen says: "It doesn't really need you to run fast, or even run a lot, because there are many ways to accumulate points. In my opinion, it is the hope that we ordinary people can continue to exercise under the guidance of points, so as to fall in love with running."

Through these years of running, Chen says that for him, marathon training is a challenge to himself at his own pace. Every time he competes a little faster than the last time, it is a kind of success.

Not only Chen, but several amateur runners from China will run the public marathon in Paris on the night of Aug 10.