NATION PUTTING ITS BEST SPORTING FOOT FORWARD

Olympic medals no longer sole gauge of achievement

The sweltering summer heat didn't stop runners from taking to the track at Olympic Forest Park in north Beijing on a recent Saturday afternoon.

Built for the 2008 Summer Olympics, the park features a 10-kilometer track that wends part of its way alongside a lake. It has become highly popular with runners since China began promoting physical fitness among the population in the post-Games era.