Meet Shen Haoze: Chinese Fitness KOL With 8 Million Fans Hosts Public Olympic Marathon

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will host their first mass marathon accessible to the public, a historic event that has attracted around 800,000 registrations worldwide.

Shen is one of the lucky five percent selected to compete.

He started running to lose weight in 2015, a decision that changed his life.

His journey began when his wife, pointing at the slender figures of the actors in a Korean drama, remarked: “Look how fit they are. You’ve put on a little weight, haven’t you?”

His family members also commented that he “gained weight before he was even middle-aged.”

He first tried eating only cucumbers for dinner for a month, which proved ineffective.

Frustrated with his diet, Shen began running around West Lake, a well-known beauty spot in Hangzhou, 10.8 kilometers per circuit.

At first he could only walk three or four kilometres. Once, when he tried to walk seven kilometres, he ended up vomiting and hanging on to a tree, exhausted.

Yet, as he watched other runners pass by effortlessly, he imagined he would achieve a similar state of ease and vitality if he persisted.

Over the next year, Shen ran more than 160 laps around the West Lake, lost 20 kilograms, and gradually learned to enjoy running.

“Running has not only improved my physical appearance, but more importantly, it has given me confidence, health, vigor and focus,” Shen said.

From March 2016 he started officially participating in marathon races.

Shen’s journey has not been without its pitfalls.

His first half marathon was particularly difficult because he didn’t have the right running shoes and he suffered from blisters.

“I couldn’t walk properly for a week,” Shen told mainland publication Dushikuaibao.

After intensive training, he became one of the first two Chinese nationals to serve as pace setter at the 2017 Sydney Marathon.

A pacer is an experienced runner who leads a group to finish within a target time, setting the pace for the group.

“At first I was very nervous,” he said.

“But at the finish line, the locals handed me the Chinese flag, which allowed me to proudly cross the line with it. I felt like I was doing my country proud,” Shen told Yeren Sports.

Currently, he runs about 300 km per month, according to an interview with Pear Video.

Even after getting married in 2016 and having two children, Shen maintained his disciplined routine.

He starts his day with a jog, buys breakfast on the way back, wakes up his family, drops his son off at school, and then goes to work. He uses his lunch breaks to do fitness exercises and spends 1-2 hours running after work.

In 2020, he ran his first full marathon in under three hours, a major feat that marks a milestone in the sport.

Shen hopes to motivate his 8 million social media followers to understand and embrace the sport.

He also created a running group to encourage regular training among enthusiasts.

“Hearing about a professional athlete winning seems far away. But the idea that a marathon can be a sport for everyone is powerful because it involves ordinary people around you,” Shen said.