A Piqued Interest: “Jia you”

Runners packed Tiananmen Square on the morning of the race as approximately 30,000 runners were participating in the full marathon, half marathon, 10K or mini marathon which all took place around the same time in the morning. We trekked past the Forbidden City and were cheered on by a noisy group of spectators who chanted the ever popular “jia you”. An eclectic group of runners filled the streets of Beijing—people of all ages and from countries all over the world. Many donned apparel that sported the colors of their respective countries flags. Regardless of where people were from, the crowds cheered as did the water station volunteers. My favorite fans were little Chinese kids who yelled “jia you” as loud as they could. Some even waving little flags for us. Around the 15 K mark, I started to tire out and for the longest time I never saw another mileage marker. Finally in the distance I saw the finish line. Thinking the end was near, I realized the finish line was on the other side of the road which meant I still had to keep running. Ugh….fortunately my legs survived and with the cheers of my friends on the sidelines I made it across the finish line.