Xu Conghua

Xu Cong Hua ran his first marathon in the spring of 2017, the Zhengkai International Marathon, and it took him over four hours to run the whole course. He was 38 years old that year.

When Xu Cong Hua started running marathons, his body was already past its peak of running. He does not seek fame or fortune when participating in races, it is a thorough and genuine love. He started participating in the Jiangnan 100km cross-country race in 2019, in the 168km category. The first time, he ran to more than 20 kilometres and withdrew due to injury. The second time, he also withdrew due to injury until this year, when he finally completed his first "168", which took him 36 hours.

Every year, Xu Cong Hua takes part in more than 10 cross-country races. He is 5'5" tall, weighs around 80kg and has eight visible abs. He has always been in great shape. Every morning at five o'clock, he gets up to run, and at the most he runs more than 700 kilometres in a month. He liked to run in the stadium next to his home and after the accident, many neighbours said, "Isn't this the same Huazi who ran in the stadium?

His best time running a marathon was 3 hours 07 minutes, in Xi'an. The next day, he went to Jinan for the 12-hour endurance race, running over 70km.

He had come to Baiyin for the cross-country race with the attitude of an easy finish. It was a moderately difficult race and with a subsidy for finishing, he wanted to experience it. He expected to finish the race in 16 hours.

Xu Conghua's sister said that her brother is filial to his parents, but is particularly uncommunicative and rarely speaks to his family about what is on his mind. His mother, who is nearly 70 years old, worries about him and doesn't want him to go running. When he calls to ask where he is, he says, "Don't worry, I haven't gone anywhere! He always hides his running race from his family.

Xu Conghua is from Changge, Xuchang, Henan province. He is the second oldest in his family, with one elder brother and one younger sister. His wife is a nurse and they have a daughter.

Xu Conghua runs a fitness studio in Changge. He is the president of the Changge Marathon Association, a celebrity in the local running community, and has been featured in the Xuchang Daily. A few years ago, Xu Cong Hua failed in his investments and was not happy, so running became his outlet. He once told his running friends, "If one day I collapse on the track I like, I will have no regrets in this life."