ASIA/CHINA - “Running for the Lord”: second edition of the “Synodal Half Marathon” of the Archdiocese of Beijing

Beijing (Fides News Agency) – “Running for the Lord” on the path of proclaiming the Gospel and bearing witness to the faith. This is the motto of the second edition of the “Synodal Half Marathon,” entitled “Pegasus,” organized by the Archdiocese of Beijing and held on Friday, July 10, in the area surrounding the Diocesan Philosophical-Theological Seminary, after the priests concluded their annual spiritual retreat.
According to the websites of the diocese and the Seminary, some thirty diocesan priests participated in this initiative promoted by Bishop Joseph Li Shan and organized by his Coadjutor Bishop, Matthew Zhen Xuebin (himself a long-distance marathon runner).
The stated objective of the initiative is to strengthen priestly communion and fraternity through sports, giving new impetus to pastoral service and missionary work.
The physical and spiritual well-being, as well as the integral growth of priests, are central to the diocese's concern.

From July 7 to 10, the annual spiritual exercises for priests were held at the Seminary, led by Bishop Li Shan himself. During the meditations, the bishop of Beijing exhorted the priests to remain faithful to their priestly vocation, persevering in missionary and evangelizing work. Several diocesan priests and seminary formators led the spiritual meditations, which focused on the reading of Sacred Scripture and aimed at renewing apostolic zeal and gratitude for the priestly vocation received as a gift.
Within the framework of the enriching experience shared during the priestly spiritual exercises, the invitation to "participate according to one's own abilities" in the half marathon, recognizing the importance of maintaining one's physical condition and placing emphasis on sharing and participation rather than competition.
The participants faced the challenge with commitment: the best recorded time was one hour, 42 minutes, and 30 seconds. Before the start, all runners participated in a moment of prayer and a warm-up. Aid stations and medical assistance posts were set up along the route to ensure the safe and orderly running of the competition, taking into account Beijing's weather conditions, characterized by intense heat at this time of year. The awards ceremony took place at the end of the race. (NZ) (Fides News Agency, 13/7/2026)

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