Han's run rallies fans to follow in his footsteps

HOHHOT－Sui Jianbo lost 2 kilograms in two weeks, and attributed this positive change to the inspiration given by Han Han, a talented rally driver and successful film director.

The 37-year-old Sui began jogging early last month and has since made the routine a daily habit.

"Losing weight is just one advantage. I really enjoy the state of being relaxed and confident after exercising. It felt like I conquered something and I feel full of energy every day," says Sui, a bank clerk working in Hohhot, the capital city of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Sui says Han, also 37, has been the source of his inspiration.

"Han was my idol when we were both teenagers, and I thought he would become fat, maybe bald some day, just like many other middle-aged men, like me," says Sui.

However, early last month, Han uploaded a topless photo of him jogging and his 5 km running time on micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo, which immediately began trending－he finished a 5 km run in 18 minutes and 36 seconds, an impressive feat for an amateur runner.

With more than 45 million followers on the platform, Han's post proved inspirational to many, especially those in the middle-aged demographic.

Han has been a best-selling author since he was young, a popular blogger in China, a talented rally driver and a film director. He was also one of Time magazine's "World's Most Influential People" in 2010.

"It took me 30 minutes to finish my first 5 km last year. My heart rate climbed to 200 beats per minute. I couldn't take it, and I thought my watch had made a mistake," Han wrote on his account, adding that he aimed at finishing 10 km in 40 minutes at the turn of the year.

After regular training, Han finished 10 km in 39 minutes 38 seconds on Jan 18, days before Spring Festival.

"The beauty of sport is that you can actually see the result of your efforts," wrote Han.

Han's interpretation of the beauty of sport inspired many people, including Sui. He says: "I think a similar change can happen to me."

In his first attempt at running, Sui recalls, his lungs just "felt like exploding", and his heart rate climbed to 200 beats per minute, with a slow pace at 8 minutes 30 seconds per kilometer.

"After a week of training, the muscle soreness vanished and my heart rate dropped slowly and my pace went up as well," Sui adds.

"I began to look forward to running and really enjoyed the moment when I finally finished 5 km."

Sui has been overweight for several years and suffered fatty liver disease, but he never took it seriously since many of his colleagues had beer bellies.

"Han's post and the COVID-19 outbreak made me think a lot about the preciousness of health, so I decided to do some exercise and try to lose some weight," says Sui.

Sui was not alone. Many people began running and sharing their exercise photos online.

"Record every drop of sweat," wrote a Sina Weibo user.

Sui says with self-mockery: "It seems silly to say as a middle-aged man, but I think I will take Han as my idol again."

Xinhua