On June 23rd, coinciding with International Olympic Day, more than 1500 faculty, students, and alumni from NEFU participated both online and offline in the inaugural “Summer of Donglin” campus marathon, with a theme of “Celebrating New China, Advancing the Strong Nation.”

The campus marathon was divided into individual and team categories for faculty and students. Sun Tianyi from Aulin College clinched first place in the male student mini-marathon with a time of 17 minutes and 35 seconds; Li Youyuan from the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering secured first place in the female student mini-marathon with a time of 23 minutes and 01 seconds. Li Chaojun, an alumnus from the class of 2003, won first place in the male alum mini-marathon with a time of 17 minutes and 14 seconds; Feng Shi, an alumnus from the class of 1999, emerged victorious in the female alums mini-marathon with a time of 25 minutes and 21 seconds. Jing Zhongwei, a teacher from the College of Landscaping, achieved first place in the male faculty mini-marathon with a time of 19 minutes and 29 seconds; Ye Rong from the Party Publicity Department triumphed in the female faculty mini-marathon with a time of 25 minutes and 11 seconds. The Chasing Light team, a diverse group of students and faculty from the School of Humanities and Law, won first place in the faculty half-marathon relay. The School of Information and Control Engineering team claimed first place in the student full marathon relay.

Despite the light rain and a high temperature of only 16 degrees Celsius in Harbin that morning, the weather did not dampen the participants’ enthusiasm. Their perseverance in the face of challenging conditions was genuinely inspiring.

Kong Lingwei, a Chinese female track and field athlete, Asian sprint champion, and newly appointed teacher at our school’s sports department, led the participants in warm-up exercises on-site.

All school leaders registered for the race. Zhang Chunlei, a member of the school party committee and vice president, presided over the opening ceremony.

President Song Wenlong delivered the opening speech. He emphasized that sports strengthen the body and mind, hone willpower, inspire spirit, and cultivate character. He hoped everyone would enjoy the beauty of sports, inherit Donglin’s resilient and innovative spirit through the rain, and speed up the progress toward making China a solid educational nation.

Undergraduate Li Pengyu from Aulin College and Liu Gang, secretary-general of the Qingdao Alumni Association and a forestry alumnus from the class of 2000, spoke on behalf of the participants. They expressed their willingness to challenge themselves, surpass their limits, and shine brightly on the fertile ground of Donglin.

School party committee secretary Zhang Zhikun fired the starting gun for the race!

Zheng Ligong, a 79-year-old alumnus from the class of 63 in the College of Forestry, was the oldest participant in the event. He participated in the online mini-marathon from Sanya. Zheng recalled winning the Harbin city circuit race organized by the college in 1964 during his studies. He expressed deep affection for his alma mater and his hopes for its continued prosperity.

Liu Xiaohui, a 1995 alumnus now working in Guangzhou, returned to campus with his spouse, who is also an alumnus, and more than ten other alumni to participate in the marathon. “Participating in such an event is very meaningful. I hope the younger students cherish their university life, improve their physical fitness, and enrich their knowledge and skills to contribute to the development of our alma mater,” he said emotionally.

Though the weather was fantastic, the service was warm and welcoming, making all the participants feel appreciated and valued.

“It’s cold today. Have a cup of ginger sugar water to warm up!” At the athletics field, the staff at the dining center’s love service car were providing heartwarming supplies to the athletes. They arrived at 6:30 am to serve the staff and participants, offering drinks like white sugar water, lightly salted water, and soy milk.

The school deployed 120 student volunteers to handle race direction, order maintenance, and medal distribution to ensure the event went smoothly. Despite the morning rain, they silently stood by their posts, diligently providing the best service for everyone. The security department arranged for 40 security personnel to guide vehicle parking and manage traffic at various intersections, ensuring the track remained clear. The school hospital dispatched ten medical staff members, forming five medical rescue teams stationed at multiple points along the track to provide emergency services and first aid kits. Additionally, five emergency runners were deployed to handle sudden situations on the track quickly and effectively.

Around 11:30 am, with the last participant crossing the finish line, the first “Summer of Donglin” campus marathon concluded, and an award ceremony was held.

Vice President Sun Meng awarded the top eight male student mini-marathon athletes.

Vice President Sun Meng awarded the top eight female student mini-marathon athletes.

Vice President Sun Meng awarded the top eight male faculty mini-marathon athletes.

Vice President Sun Meng awarded the top eight female faculty mini-marathon athletes.

Deputy party secretary Chen Wenhui awarded the top eight female alum mini-marathon athletes.

Deputy party secretary Chen Wenhui awarded the top eight male alum mini-marathon athletes.

Deputy party secretary Chen Wenhui awarded the top eight student full marathon mixed relay teams. 

President Song Wenlong awarded the top six faculty half-marathon mixed relay teams.

President Song Wenlong awarded the units that won the campus marathon sportsmanship award.

Many participating faculty and students noted that the significance of the marathon lies not only in running and fitness but also in embodying the spirit of challenging oneself, surpassing limits, persevering, and never giving up. During the marathon preparation, everyone honed a spirit of fearlessness and determination, which will undoubtedly become a driving force for the high-quality development of NEFU’s education.