Chinese runner Zhang Deshun crosses the finish line in the marathon at the 15th National Games. Photo: VCG

Twenty-nine-year-old Zhang Deshun didn't expect to set her personal best so soon after the 15th National Games and while still recovering from a cold. On December 28 in Meishan, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, she crossed the finish line of the China Athletics Association 10K Elite Series Final in 31 minutes, 54 seconds, winning the race and breaking her own national 10K record.

Zhang said she had considered going for her personal best, but recent fatigue and disrupted training left her uncertain. 

"I just focused on giving my all and doing my best," she said after the race.

The two-time National Games women's marathon champion currently holds the national record for the women's half-marathon and has set her sights on the full marathon in 2026. 

In the new year, she aims to better her half-marathon personal best, break 2:20 in the full marathon, and surpass Sun Yingjie's national record of 2:19:39, set in 2003.

"Being able to perform well despite not feeling my best gives me greater confidence in chasing a record next year," Zhang told the Global Times.

A star born in village 

Zhang's running journey began in a small village in Dali, Yunnan Province, where her talent was discovered around age 14 during a school PE class.

"During a first-year middle school PE class, we ran laps around the school for cross-country. The boys in my class started two minutes ahead of the girls, and when we finished, I was the first to reach the finish line - all the boys were behind me," Zhang recalled.

At first, her parents were not supportive of her long-distance running, fearing it was too grueling and exhausting for her.

As she trained, her string of standout performances gradually persuaded her father to let her "give it a try."

She later joined a sports school and progressed further to the provincial team. In 2020, Zhang shifted her focus to marathon.

Since 2013, she has trained under Chinese long-distance veteran Zhang Guowei, a renowned Chinese long-distance runner and coach. 

He won the 10,000 meters gold at the 1982 Asian Games and claimed both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters titles at the 1987 National Games. After retiring, he became a coach and has since trained multiple Olympic athletes. 

She trained daily with the Yunnan provincial team, often alongside the men's marathon squad. 

"Training at the same intensity as the male athletes pushed me to grow faster," she said. 

"It was tough at first, but it made me stronger."

Her career milestones are impressive. In 2015, she won double gold at the inaugural National Youth Games, taking the women's 5,000- and 10,000-meter titles - a turning point in her career. Her marathon debut came in 2020 at the Macao Marathon, where she broke the women's race record. The following year, she claimed two golds and a silver at the 2021 National Games, including the women's marathon crown. In 2024, she broke the 20-year-old Chinese women's half-marathon record with a time of 1:07:56.

The 15th National Games marathon in Shenzhen and Hong Kong was particularly memorable for her. In the first cross-boundary marathon in the 66-year history of China's National Games, the race started and finished at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, linking Shenzhen and Hong Kong. 

"I didn't get to enjoy the scenery during the competition, but the experience was unforgettable." 

"The marathon was placed as the first event in the athletics program during the Games, and for athletes like us competing in multiple events, it offered a unique experience," added Zhang.

Eyes on 2026

Looking to 2026, Zhang plans to push herself further in both the half and full marathons, aiming for personal bests and national records. She also hopes to compete at the Asian Games, where she previously finished second and third, with the goal of finally winning gold.

"Chinese runners have improved significantly in recent years," Zhang said. "Our men's marathon results have been particularly striking, with new national records and a strong pool of talent. Internationally, there's still a gap, but in Asia, we have a real chance to reach the podium."

Zhang encourages younger athletes to think beyond domestic competition. "Young athletes can set a plan for themselves and not confine their goals to domestic races," Zhang said. "They need to step onto the international stage and test themselves. That's how we can develop more talent capable of competing at the highest level."

The rising popularity of running in China provides fertile ground for this development. According to the Chinese Athletics Association, the country hosted 749 road races in 2024, including 330 certified events, with a total participation of 7.05 million, an increase of one million from 2023. 

Runner performance has also significantly improved, as over 18,000 runners finished marathons within three hours in certified events, with an average finishing time of 4:07:01, an improvement of more than five minutes compared to 2023.

Zhang, a four-time women's champion at the Shanghai Marathon, sees the growing marathon culture as positive for both professional and recreational runners. 

"It allows more young runners to emerge, fosters healthy competition, and pushes all of us to keep striving and improving together," she said.

Marathon running is also easier to take up than many other sports. It doesn't require advanced techniques or specialized equipment, making it something anyone can take up anytime as part of a fitness-for-all approach, added Zhang. She also advised runners to pace themselves and listen to their bodies.