2022 International Olympic Day: Hebei Province 100-City 10,000-Participant Health Run Kicks Off

Pass on the light of the tiny flame, together for a shared future. June 23 this year marks the 75th International Olympic Day. Hebei Provincial Party Secretary Ni Yuefeng and Provincial Governor Wang Zhengpu issued specific instructions for the 2022 Hebei Province International Olympic Day series of activities.

To celebrate the International Olympic Day, the Hebei Province 100-City 10,000-Person Health Run event was launched on that day at the Yutong International Sports Center in the provincial capital Shijiazhuang. The event aims to promote the Olympic spirit, advocate for national fitness in tandem with the Olympics, further deepen the integration of national fitness and national health, and promote high-quality development of sports.

This event was hosted by the Hebei Provincial Sports Bureau, organized by the Hebei Provincial Sports Bureau Track and Field Center, Hebei Track and Field Association, and Shijiazhuang Municipal Sports Bureau, with support from the Hebei Sports Lottery Center. Attending the launch ceremony were Li Pu, Deputy Secretary-General of the Hebei Provincial People's Government and Director of the Provincial Winter Olympics Office; Zhang Zefeng, Party Secretary and Director of Hebei Provincial Sports Bureau; Wang Biao, Party Member and Deputy Director of Hebei Provincial Sports Bureau and First-Level Inspector; Li Fuqiang, Deputy Secretary-General of Shijiazhuang Municipal People's Government; Ren Weiwei, Party Secretary and Director of Shijiazhuang Municipal Sports Bureau; Ma Jinliang, Director of the Mass Sports Division and First-Level Researcher of Hebei Provincial Sports Bureau; and Gao Dongxun, Director of Hebei Sports Lottery Center.

The event adopted an 'online + offline' format, linking all parts of the province simultaneously. A total of over 100 matches and activities such as health runs, brisk walks, square dancing, table tennis, badminton, and other popular mass events were held, with enthusiastic participation from people from all walks of life. At the launch ceremony, national champions Yin Junhua, Ju Wenxin, and Yang Xiaoxu attended, and representatives of fitness enthusiasts from various sectors issued an initiative to the whole province: 'Let us, inspired by the Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together," pass on the light of the tiny flame and run together towards the future!'

The Light of the Tiny Flame Shines Brightly Forever

— Champions Invite You to 'Run Towards the Future Together'

June 23 is the 75th International Olympic Day, also the first International Olympic Day after the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The atmosphere was lively at Yutong International Sports Center in Shijiazhuang, where road running enthusiasts and fitness experts from the provincial capital gathered to participate in the launch of the 2022 International Olympic Day Hebei Province 100-City 10,000-Person Health Run and Shijiazhuang International Olympic Day Theme Event.

At the launch site, the Hebei Provincial Sports Bureau appointed 10 athletes including Sun Yingsha as national fitness ambassadors. Ju Wenxin, as a representative of the national fitness ambassadors, joined members of the road running association, social sports instructors, fitness enthusiasts, school students, and other representatives to read the 'Proposal on Promoting the Olympic Spirit' on stage.

Then, the attending guests together activated the countdown device, lighting up the map of Hebei, and the 2022 International Olympic Day Hebei Province 100-City 10,000-Person Health Run officially began. The referees gave the starting command, and sports enthusiasts ran on the track, sweating under the sun, promoting the Olympic spirit and spreading the concept of national fitness through the health run. The head of a local running club expressed excitement at the event: 'Our running club meets here every morning to run. The facilities are so complete, the environment is so nice. We welcome more people to join in sports.'

Hundred Cities Connect in a Splendid Display

— 'International Olympic Day' Sparks Summer Sports Fever

The 2022 International Olympic Day Hebei Province 100-City 10,000-Person Health Run connected all parts of the province. Meanwhile, the main venue and three sub-venues were live-streamed throughout, with over ten photography enthusiasts capturing exciting moments of the health run and presenting them in real time on the cloud.

At the launch ceremony, Zhangjiakou, Baoding, and Handan were connected live with the main venue, showcasing a variety of distinctive, life-oriented, and colorful national fitness activities on the cloud. Champion representatives, running enthusiasts, mass ice and snow stars, school students, sports associations, fitness experts, and representatives from communities and villages gathered together, happily starting the run, making this summer even hotter. Social instructors provided on-site scientific guidance services for national fitness, listing popular and highly accessible sports as key projects for public fitness training, and offering free physical fitness monitoring services, leading the masses to light up a healthy life through sports.

Zhangjiakou, the 'Winter Olympic City,' took the opportunity of hosting the Winter Olympics to vigorously promote the development of national fitness. During the Olympic Day period, 12 districts and counties including Qiaoxi District in Zhangjiakou simultaneously held rich and diverse themed events, totaling 15 activities with nearly 4,000 participants. Baoding, the 'City of Champions,' launched a variety of unique sports events such as the 2022 Baoding Marathon Track Refueling Station and the 2022 Baoding Marathon Training Camp, fully displaying the charm of the 'Olympic Champion City.' Handan, the host of the 16th Provincial Games in 2022, set up an Olympic cultural promotion and experience exhibition at the event site, promoting the Olympic spirit and culture.

Creative Challenges + Cloud Lectures

— Unlocking New Knowledge of 'Scientific Exercise'

The 2022 International Olympic Day Hebei Province 100-City 10,000-Person Health Run series not only included rich offline activities but also featured exciting online sports meets, cloud challenges, and public science fitness lectures.

The Hebei Province National Fitness Online Games set up three major categories including cloud competitions, cloud performances, and the '5 100' Best Series Selection, with over 20 events. The first event—the Yan Zhao Cloud Hiking Competition—started on May 23. As of June 22, the number of participants exceeded 160,000, with nearly 9 million clicks. The Creative Sports Short Video Challenge launched simultaneously on platforms like Douyin, Kuaishou, and Weibo on June 20. So far, well-known internet bloggers like Hebei News Brother and Douyin influencer Hebei Travel Detective have joined in interaction. Square dancing ladies, office workers, running friends, and school students actively submitted videos, skipping rope, kicking shuttlecocks, running... They showed their love for sports and passion through different sports in various scenarios.

'This lecture series is really well done. We middle-aged and elderly people need this kind of health lecture to guide scientific fitness,' said Uncle Wang, a 53-year-old runner who just learned about the Cloud Science Fitness Public Lecture at the event. Six sessions of the Cloud Science Fitness Public Lecture were held to popularize scientific fitness awareness and skills among sports enthusiasts, continuously promoting high-quality development of national fitness. After the videos were released, they received widespread praise, with many forwarding and liking them.

The 2022 'International Olympic Day' will also hold more colorful activities. These include the 'Run, Youth!' children and youth themed fitness activities, the 2022 (3rd) Hebei Sports Consumption Season, the 2022 (2nd) Beijing-Zhangjiakou All-Season Sports Tourism Carnival, and organizing provincial sports teams to carry out 'Strengthen Physique, Hone Will, Train Elite Soldiers' activities.

The light of the tiny flame shines brightly forever. The 2022 International Olympic Day Hebei Province 100-City 10,000-Person Health Run connected all parts of the province, promoting the Olympic spirit and advocating national fitness. This summer, let your heart heat up and your body 'move'!