Run China Run! Jogging Tips for the Middle Kingdom

Run China Run! Jogging Tips for the Middle Kingdom
Dec 22, 2015 By Trey Archer , eChinacities.com

Jogging is an incredible sport: it’s cheap, you can do it whenever and wherever you want and it’s an awesome workout. However, there are some major differences between jogging in the West and jogging in the Far East. So for all you old China hands who’ve been running here for years and all you newbies who’ve never shredded up the pavement in China before, here are some good tips for jogging in the Middle Kingdom.

East vs West
I remember the first time I went running here. It was in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province in 2008. It was a beautiful day and I was dying to explore the city on foot. To my surprise, a few bystanders went scrambling away, a middle-aged guy stopped me to ask me whom I was running from, and I gained a lot more stares than I usually attracted as a tall white guy. It certainly wasn’t the exercise I had expected.

While running for sport still isn’t as popular in China as it is in the Americas, Africa and Europe, it is catching on and gaining popularity.  A large part of this is credited to Liu Xiang – an Olympic gold medalist and world champion, and the first Chinese person to win a gold medal in track in field ever (he’s basically the Yao Ming of track).  Nonetheless, as you may have noticed from my personal experience, there’s still a long way to go.

For example, in the West it’s common to see people running during the morning, on lunch breaks and in the evenings. In China, however, the few joggers you see appear mostly in the morning or after work – if you go jogging mid day people may think you’re late for an important meeting! Another example is jogging paths. There are numerous jogging paths in the West designated for joggers, so it’s obviously common to see people running in these areas. In China, again, there aren’t too many (except for tracks at sporting facilities and schools), so you’re going to get creative in where you plan on getting some exercise.

Preparation
Besides your Nikes (or Li-nings), you don’t need much else for a good jog. Now all you have to do is pick a path. There are all sorts of terrain, weather, and jogging paths to choose from in this vast country, so most of that depends on you (for example, I hate running in the cold!).

Some good options for starts are parks – every city and town has one. Another good option can be through traditional neighborhoods, such as the hutongs in Beijing or Former French Concession in Shanghai, where the alleys are small and traffic is minimal. You can also get out in the country side for some cross country action.

If you want to get technical, try downloading the Map My Run app by Under Armor, or use the Nike app that comes pre-installed on your iPhone. You can measure the distance you’ve run, manage your play list for “Eye of the Tiger,” and check how many calories you burned. They’re pretty handy and add a cool, high tech splash to this classic sport.

Safety
Ultimately, the choice of where you want to tear it up is yours, but it’s probably recommended to stay clear of heavily trafficked ring roads, highways and avenues. And the reason? Well, that’s probably because road accidents are one of the leading causes of death in all of China… Be careful!

Another safety precaution would be to watch out for violent crime. As safe as China may seem, there have actually been a few incidents of women getting raped while out on evening jogs. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so if you’re concerned for safety, jog during daylight hours and stick to well populated areas.

And last but not least, pollution. Of course, it’s China… You may not want to jog when the AQI is over 100 PM2.5, so always check the AQI on your phone app or website. If it’s hovering around 100, to be extra healthy you can try wearing a pollution mask. While masks may be uncomfortable, many athletes use similar masks to build lung strength even in perfectly clear conditions. Don’t knock it until you try it, it’s a great way to build stamina.

Clubs
Running clubs are a fun way to meet new friends and break a sweat. If you’re in Shanghai and want to connect with fellow runners, visit the website http://shanghai-running.com. Another good club is Urban Tigers and they have clubs in various cities throughout China, check them out: http://www.meetup.com/Urbantigers/.

For all you Beijingers, try http://www.breakfastrunning.com/beijing/.  But if you love jogging but also love a good pint, why not mix a running club with a drinking club? Well, that’s what the hash has done. So for all you healthy drinkers out there, surf their site at http://www.hash.cn for more info.

Races
My absolute favorite is the Color Run – the self-proclaimed world’s happiest. The Color Run is basically a 5k mixed with Holi – you’ll finish the race completely covered with 50 shades of bright colored powder. There’s also a beer fest after the race. To see if they’re coming to a city near you, take a look at their site http://thecolorrun.com.

If the color run is too easy, try one of these more challenging races. The Great Wall Marathon is a killer, as you’ll have to scale the steps of the Great Wall during the race! Though exhausting, when else could you run a race on a UNESCO World Heritage Site? For their official site, click  http://great-wall-marathon.com.

Shanghai also has a good marathon, so if you’re looking for a more urban track, zip through their site to get dates and info: http://www.shmarathon.com/home.dhtml.

And for a gorgeous marathon through nature, look no further than the Shangri-la Marathon. It’s breathtaking, in more ways than one, but if you’re up for the challenge and ready for some gorgeous vies of one of the most beautiful places in all of China, tap the link to get started: http://shangri-la-marathon.com.

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Keywords: China jogging pander China tips running

2 Comments

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da_wei

Jogging is catching on in China. They even have an app for it - Gudong - 咕咚

Dec 27, 2015 07:48 Report Abuse

Guest2301262

Be it jogging or shopping locals never worry about washrooms, free as the neanderthals

Dec 22, 2015 11:11 Report Abuse