The 84-year-old man and his wife have completed more than 100 marathons

At 4:00 in the morning, Mr. Hu opened the window, the wind was cold with some snow falling on his face. Outdoor temperature is -7 degrees Celsius.

Mrs. Wang got up and dressed as she asked, “Old man, are you still running today?”

“Run!”, Hu did not hesitate to answer. He put on his training outfit and walked quickly out of the house.

Every morning, Ms. Hu and her husband Wang, from Hefei, Anhui Province, East China, will prepare their stuff, go out and run for 10km. They have been doing this for decades and nothing can stop them, not even the age or the cold of winter. For them, only when the running is complete will the body truly awake.

At five o’clock in the morning, after the jogging session, Ms. Wang returned home, preparing breakfast. Moments later, a boiled egg, a cup of milk and a bowl of hot beef noodles were served on the table. “Every day I change breakfast for him with tofu, soy milk, beef … Age over 80 and running 10km every day, I’m afraid he doesn’t eat well, nutrition can’t make up for it. consumption of the body, “Ms. Wang said.

Married not long, both grandparents experienced various health problems. Mr. Hu has severe stomach and bronchitis. His wife had poor digestion, and was frequent with nausea and diarrhea. One day, Ms. Wang, following advice from a friend, started jogging to improve her health.

Wang quickly found that running helped eliminate the health problems she had suffered from decades of. After retiring in 1997, Mr. Hu followed his wife’s example, began his days of training and got used to running long distance. Mr. Hu’s stomach ailments also gradually recovered.

In 2004, at the age of 58, Ms. Wang competed in the national competition, a distance of 1,500 meters for the elderly and became the fourth person to cross the finish line. Since then, the couple started to sign up for every run they knew. Then, they want to find a more difficult challenge, and look to the marathon.

The first marathon (42,195km) of the couple Hu – Wang was at the Shanghai International Marathon 2011. Mr. Hu, then 70 years old, suffered a bleeding toe while running in the middle, but still determined to complete race with time of 4 hours 18 minutes – a dream achievement for many young people.

“Everything needs a process. I started to feel joy after finishing some marathons. That feeling of accomplishment was unforgettable. I was always in the top 3 in my 70s. Many younger people than me. It is also difficult to achieve this achievement, “Mr. Hu said Xinhua News Agency. According to him, regardless of age, fighting spirit to the end is indispensable.

Having left their footprint at most of the marathon in China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Wuxi …, the couple cannot remember how many medals they won together. Retired workers, they have participated in more than a hundred marathons nationwide. Both believe, it is the pursuit of joy, health and confidence that helps them stay attached to running. Now, they are a pair of famous athletes and are invited by many organizers.

Running also makes life more alive. Mr. Hu and Ms. Wang made many new friends through each marathon. Wang Hongcai, vice president of the Hefei Marathon Sports Association, Anhui Province (HMSA), said he only started to run the marathon after being encouraged by Mr. and Mrs. Hu – Wang.

Wang Hongcai, 52 years old, said: “I used to weigh 95kg, now only 65kg. Jogging improved the high blood pressure that I used to take three years of medication but not better.” The number of members participating in HMSA also increased from less than 100 people to more than 4,000 people, thanks to role models like Mr. Hu and his wife.

In 2017, Mr. Hu and Wang attended the Beijing International Marathon to commemorate the 50th wedding anniversary – a golden wedding concept in China. That day was also Mr. Hu’s 80th birthday. Ms. Wang, though sprained a month earlier, still managed to complete the contest.

“I sprained about a month before the run. But thought it was the couple’s golden wedding anniversary, it was his 80th birthday, so I gritted my teeth and limped all the way.” Ms. Wang recalled.

The organizers have prepared a special gift for the couple. Their BIB numbers are set to 13520 and 14520. In Chinese, “520” sounds like “I love you / you”, while “13” and “14” when combined have the same sound. “lifetime” similarity.

Ms. Wang is very pleased with the saying: “Life is a marathon”. The Marathon is a place where two couples support each other and push each other forward. “Every marathon ends with another 42,195km to prolong our love. As long as our heart beats, we will run,” said Mr. Hu, also revealing his goal of becoming an old marathon runner. best of the world.

Thuy Lien synthetic