Han Ximin

    ximhan@126.com

    AS the weather gets cooler and the temperature drops, Shenzhen bids farewell to the summer heat and sweat and enters the best season of the year for outdoor activities.

    2004, an experienced runner who had participated in various marathon runnings in Shenzhen, leads a team of nearly 30 members for warming up at around 6:30 a.m. every Sunday since October.

    “These people all came for a long distance run of 27 kilometers today,” 2004 said in an interview.

    In September when 2004 learned Shenzhen will host its first marathon in December, he decided to organize a team which could run within 4 hours and 30 minutes for 42 kilometers.

    2004 and his team members often have training activities in parks such as Dashahe Park and Shenzhen Bay Park in Nanshan, Shenzhen University, Donghu Park in Luohu, and Lianhua Hill and Bijia Mountain parks in Futian District.

    In Dashahe Park, it is about 3.2 kilometers for a circle around the park. It is easier for runners to control its pace and calculate distance when they have slow, long distance running at weekends.

    Dashahe Park is regarded as the best park with sports facilities. The Universiade Park in Longgang CBD, which covers 418 hectares, is regarded as another paradise for runners. It is a sports park which was built in 2011 for the Shenzhen Universiade.

    According to the park management, a 7.5-kilometer standard green way runs through the park and links with the rest of the district.