Marathon athlete Li Zicheng  [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As more and more Chinese embrace marathon running as part of a healthy lifestyle, it will become more important to ensure the general public is educated about the standards that have to be maintained. Renowned Chinese marathon athlete Li Zicheng is committed to doing it. Zhang Xingjian reports.

Born in Zaozhuang, Shandong province, Li has lived in the mountainous area since he was a child. He recalls enjoying the feeling of running in his childhood. In 2006, he was selected as a trainee for the Shandong Provincial Sports Team. His life then was simple and repetitive, until he heard about the marathon.

"At that time, lots of people had no idea about marathons. The limited information on the sport I got were just videos of the competition, and I noticed some top participants would get a rousing welcome when they arrived at the finish line," Li said. Filled with admiration, he wanted to experience a moment like that.

Marathon athlete Li Zicheng shares his stories on running with marathon lovers at an event organized by Yiren Wealth on March 12, Beijing. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

After taking advice from an instructor, he had a plan to make his dream come true. In 2010, he finished his first certified marathon in Shanghai and took second place.

The victory encouraged Li to train harder and learn more about the sport. Marathon was still in its infancy in China, so Li could only find information by surfing the internet.

"From reading news on the internet, I knew the marathon is one of the most popular sports in foreign countries," he said. "It is more than a game to many enthusiasts, but a lifestyle of their own."

In 2013, Li retired from the team due to physical injuries. After taking a yearlong break, he made up his mind to return to the professional path.

More and more Chinese embrace marathon running as part of a healthy lifestyle. [Photo/IC]

Achieving the best result in each marathon is the Holy Grail for participants, and so it is for Li. Luckily, good things come to those who wait.

So far, the 29-year-old has competed in a dozen standard marathon races, receiving honors and awards.

For example, Li has participated in more than 40 races in the past three years. In 2015, he even set a record, winning 42 games out of 45 competitions. Last year, he won 12 championships from 17 full marathons, and recorded the best result for Chinese half-marathons throughout the year.

"Running a marathon takes determination, courage, perseverance. It is an arduous undertaking that requires months of dedicated training," Li said.

After "retirement", Li has trained himself with great diligence.

"I act as instructor, develop my own training schedule and implement those plans one by one," Li told China Daily. "At first, I was not accustomed to the high-intensity training for more than 4 hours each day. Little by little, everything seemed to be fine."