The Marathon
The marathon course leads through Tsinghua, and the ladies went for their run today. I managed to kick myself out of bed to go watch it. It was sort of drizzling and looking slightly menacingly like rain, and I decided not to take my camera. So no pictures, sorry.
There was a group of soldiers, sitting at the ready (now there’s a funny phrase) nearby, checking up on the progress of the race (presumably) on their cell phones while waiting for their call, should it come. A vanful of cops was nearby, ready to spring into action on a similar call.
We could guess the progress of the race from the helicopters, who were circling the leader like great sharks who’d caught a scent of blood. We could tell it was close. And then it came: first a car with the official time, second a truck full of photographers, then one last car with the camera. And then Constantina Tomescu, running with great strides at a pace I’d have a hard time sustaining for a mile. Soon after her four closest pursuers, led by Zhou Chunxiu and Zhu Xiaolin, and then the rest of the field.
The fans cheered them all on, clapping and shouting for every single runner that came through the field. Regardless of who was running there just then, the chant was always “zha-io”, let’s go. I probably slaughtered that spelling. A Korean lady got her “minga” sounding thing that sounds so familiar since the 2002 World Cup.
Once the runners were through there came an ambulance, some cops, some random vans and cars, more cops, a Volkswagen fuel cell car (oooh), and perhaps some more cops. And then I went back to my room and watched the finish on the telly.
