Kunshan, China — 172 people participated in the DKU running club’s fourth Park Run of 2024 at Dayu Bay (大渔湾), with most participants finishing the 5 kilometer run within 90 minutes. 

The morning of April 6 began cloudy and rainy, but as running club members began setting up for the race, the weather began to clear up. By 8:30 AM, thirty minutes before the official start of the run, the former Blue Oasis location was bustling with participants ready to sign in and start running.

Photos by Ann Tong

Although hosted as a collaboration between DKU’s running club and Dayu Bay, the majority of participants are usually local residents of the city of Kunshan. The run is open to participants of all ages. 

Preceding the start, running club president Kennedy McNeilly-Anta along with some running club members hosted a group stretching session for the participants.

McNeilly-Anta says Park Runs are an “excellent opportunity for local families to expose their children to group fitness and engage in healthy habit-building”. He says that through his time leading the Running Club, he has had several conversations with Kunshan parents who have expressed concerns about the fitness levels of China’s youngest generation, mainly due to academic pressures.

The April 6 Park Run officially began at 9 o’clock in the morning and closed at about 10:45. The route was slightly modified from previous Park Runs to accommodate an advertising event taking place along the normal route. The majority of participants finished within one hour, while others chose to walk the distance.

McNeilly-Anta mentions that although it can be hard to motivate runners to attend when the weather is not ideal, the 172-person participation on April 6th was the record highest participation on a rainy day. 

DKU student volunteers helped organize the run, signing in participants and handing out number tags. Several members of the DKU running club participated in the race, all striving to improve their previous best times. The running club aims to host a Park Run once every two weeks, if the weather permits.

Photos by Ann Tong

Student photographer Annie Tong volunteered to attend and photograph the race, snapping shots of every participant as they crossed the finish line.

Running club member and DKU junior Mai Lam says she has participated in over ten DKU Park Runs. She says she appreciates the opportunity it gives her to exercise, see improvement in her running and to interact with Kunshan locals.

Lam says the atmosphere during the runs is always encouraging, and she feels better running alongside both club members and Kunshan residents. She drew attention to the tradition for runners who have completed the 5 kilometers to stand near the finish line and shout encouragement to the rest of the approaching runners.