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.