Yan Wei, a blind runner from east China's Shandong province, has successfully completed a 100-kilometer ultra-marathon in 9 hours and 40 minutes recently held in Shanghai.
Yan Wei (center)
At 6:22 on the evening of Oct.18, counting on Yan's sports app stopped at 100.9 kilometers, meaning that he had completed the 100-kilometer marathon for the first time in his life, and also became the first 100-kilometer blind runner in China.
Yan has loved running since he was a teenager and run several marathons. He runs 500 to 600 kilometers every month.
"I usually run faster, because speed reserves are still very important when completing a marathon, which means my ability has improved," Yan said in an interview.
"In the final stage of the run, there were two volunteers who I came into contact for the first time in the relay. It took me a while to get used to the rhythm, but in the end, I successfully completed the 100 kilometers," Yan said about his experience in completing the marathon.
As for the feeling after completing the ultra-marathon for the first time, Yan said that it was a rare experience. "100 kilometers should be regarded as a milestone for runners," he said.
"Yan Wei taught me a lot of things, such as how to be optimistic and persistent. He lives like a child. When you communicate with him, you don't expect that he’s blind," said Lu Wei, a senior volunteer, adding that he has accompanied Yan in running more than a dozen times since they met at the 2015 Beijing Marathon.
