Lauching Ceremony of Nanjing Normal University’s First Campus Winter Marathon

The Launching Ceremony of Nanjing Normal University’s first campus winter marathon “U-run2015” was held on December 2nd on Xianlin Campus. Leaders who were present at the event include Xu Hong, Deputy Director of the Division of PE Department of Ministry of Education and NNU alumni; Wang Jiahong, member of the PE Advisory Committee of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, Director of the Working Committee of Jiangsu Province College Students' Sports Association; Jin Jian, Deputy Director of PE and Health Department of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education; Huang Jun, Director of Athletics Administrative Center of Jiangsu Province Sports Bureau; Yu Ming, Vice Chairman of the 11th and 12th CPPCC Nanjing Committee and NNU alumni; Zhu Hualin, Deputy Director of Nanjing Municipal Sports Bureau and NNU alumni; Party Secretary of CPC NNU Committee, Professor Song Yongzhong; Deputy Party Secretary of CPC NNU Committee, Professor Wang Jian; and Vice President Zhu XiaoJin.

The afternoon breeze was still quite chilly, yet the campus was extraordinary active.  Around 2 pm, the launching ceremony began. Professor Wang Jian gave a speech and extended congratulations to the launching of this activity; he also pointed out that long-distance running was beneficial to the physical and mental development of people, emphasizing that sports play an important role in the construction of campus culture. He encouraged teachers and students to go outdoors to embrace the sun shine, improve physical fitness, hone will, experience joy in sports and turn the idea of sports and health into practical actions for everyone.

Wang Jia’nan, the 2015 World Athletics Championships (long jump) bronze medalist, an undergraduate from the School of Physical Sciences in our university, gave a speech as a student representative. He shared his own experience as a track and field athlete, recognizing the vital role sports played in his life, and he called on everyone to actively participate in sports, making exercise a part of life, releasing diligence and vitality, fully explore our potential and enjoy health and pleasure brought by sports.

Professor Song Yongzhong announced the opening of the 2015 winter campus marathon of Nanjing Normal University. The "Vigorous Strides of NNU" team, consisting of teachers and students, took the lead. The school orchestra played to cheer the runners on the central stage in front of Jingwen Square, adding for the game a lively atmosphere; students from the School of Physical Education and Sport Science performed warm-up aerobics, showing the perfect integration of sports and arts in their actions; aerobics "Youth Flying", turned the venue of performance into a sports arena full of energy, expressing the beauty of youth and the rise of dream in its vibrant, bright, novel and unique movements. 

At 2: 45pm, at the signal of the starting gun, nearly 3,000 students and teachers began to compete in men and women’s 5 km and 10 km events. On the track, there were dedicating athletes running hard; along the route, cheerleaders raided the atmosphere to a enjoyable height. After the competition, winners of various prizes were determined, and other non-winning participants also successfully completed their race.

The “U-run 2015” Nanjing Normal University campus marathon was the first major marathon event held in our university, which attracted nearly 5,000 teachers and students from NNU and other universities in the region. This event fully displayed the spirit of sport: "Fitness for All, Participation by All".