Heilongjiang: On the run

On Sept 5, the Amway Nutrilite Health Run in Harbin Session marked its 11th anniversary.

The activity, with a theme of "Running out of my splendidness", was organized by the Harbin government with Amway as its title sponsor.

According to the organizer, more than 10,000 runners join the activity.

The run started at the square in front of Sun Island, a well-known tourist attraction in Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang province.

Zhang Hao, who won the world championship in figure skating, led the pack through the 7-kilometer course, which ended at the Fiesta Game Zone in the Sun Island scenic spot.

Most of the participants who joined the activity realized that playing games can lead to better health.

"I feel quite honored to cooperate with Amway Nutrilite and also very excited to run with so many people who love sports, especially together at the beautiful Sun Island," Zhang said.

"The Health Run is a meaningful activity for the national fitness program. Therefore, as a professional athlete, I feel responsible to lead the citizens to do sports."

He also told China Daily, "Amway Nutrilite is a wellness brand and I quite agree with its idea of 'nutrition and sports equal health'."

"As a response to the State General Administration of Sport's order to promote national fitness, the Amway Nutrilite Health Run aims to encourage runners, based on the family unit, to finish the whole course," said Zhang Mei, deputy director of Amway's Heilongjiang office.

"Due to good cooperation between the Harbin Sports Bureau and Amway's Heilongjiang office, the Health Run in Harbin has become one of the most popular keep-fit activities for hundreds of thousands of Harbin citizens."

The Amway Nutrilite Health Run, a nationwide campaign to improve physical and mental health, was launched in Shanghai in 2002 and has attracted about 4 million participants so far.

Nowadays, the Health Run has become a popular national fitness activity that has the largest scale, the widest range and the most participants in China. It is considered the most anticipated "keep-fit fiesta" by runners.

In order to provide a healthier and happier running experience, Amway created a smartphone app to provide a convenient channel for signing up for the race. It also provides runners with a platform to share their pleasure in sports.

Contact the writers at tianxuefei@chinadaily.com.cn and zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/28/2015 page10)