Did you go for a run today?
"Once you start running, it's never too late." This is not just an empty slogan; it is the truth of life that 90-year-old Dot Grandma and 72-year-old Zhang Xuyi Grandpa have discovered through their own footsteps.
They have shown us with astonishing results that the vitality of life should not be defined by age.
01
A 90-year-old grandma, fighting against time with passion.
At the Chicago Marathon in September last year, a 90-year-old grandma shone brightly on the track. She was Dot Solbi, who set a new record for the women's half marathon category in the 90 - 94 age group with an astonishing time of 3 hours, 33 minutes and 47 seconds.
When she crossed the finish line, thunderous applause erupted from the entire audience, which was the highest praise for her courage and perseverance.
Time goes back to 50 years ago. At the age of 40, Dot accidentally discovered running. Since then, running has become an indispensable part of her life.
Over the past 50 years, regardless of the extreme cold or heat, or the combination of rain and wind, she has never stopped running.
"As long as you start running, you'll never be too old."
This is a sentence that Dorte often quotes. In her opinion, age is just a number. Years have left their marks on her face, but they cannot hide the youthful and energetic nature within her.
Running for her is not merely a form of exercise; it is also a way of life, an expression of her love and respect for life.
She hopes that through her own personal experience, she can inspire more people to bravely take the first step and experience the joy and strength that running brings.
02
Running is the best investment for health.
In fact, runners of advanced age like Dote are quite common among us. Mr. Zhang Minyi from Shenyang, Liaoning Province, is one of the outstanding examples.
At the age of 72, he has also achieved remarkable results on the running track. At the 2023 Shanghai Marathon, Mr. Zhang successfully completed the race with a time of 3 hours and 9 minutes.
This result is far beyond the reach of many young people, let alone an 72-year-old man. But this is not his best performance. As early as at the age of 68, he broke the three-hour mark for the first time with a time of 2 hours and 59 minutes.
At the Beijing Marathon, he even won the first place in the age group with a time of 2 hours and 54 minutes, setting a new personal best PB.
Grandpa Zhang often says: "When your body is in good condition, nothing else matters." In his view, running is not just about pursuing results, but also about maintaining good health.
When sharing his experience of running a marathon, he said with a smile: "Running is like building a house. You have to take it step by step, gradually and steadily.
Don't think of eating a big meal all at once and rushing for success!
You should spend more time on daily training instead of blindly searching for races everywhere.
Running two races a year is enough. This way, you can maintain your condition and won't be too tired."
03
Running helps relieve stress and embrace freedom.
Some people say that long-distance running is a kind of torture for the body, with every step filled with pain.
But for those who truly love running, long-distance running is a conversation with oneself, a way to relieve stress and embrace freedom.
The dopamine and endorphins secreted by the body make us feel an unprecedented sense of pleasure and satisfaction.
During the running process, we can temporarily forget the troubles and pressures in life.
Forget about speed, don't compete with others, follow your own rhythm, listen to your favorite music, and run freely.
At this time, we will discover that running can be so joyful and so simple.
Just like the famous Greek saying: "If you want to be strong, run! If you want to be fit, run! If you want to be smart, run!"
Running is the simplest form of exercise. As long as there is a place, one can start it anytime and anywhere by themselves. Many people have gone to gyms to sign up but failed to stick to it.
There's no need for us to fly to participate in a marathon. Just running every day will be sufficient.
Time flows like water, and it never returns.
However, we can be like those grandpas and grandmas who persist in running, and use running as a way to resist the passage of time.
As long as we start running, we will never be too old.