Students take 100-km walk in 'rite of passage'

Despite wind and rain and sudden temperature drops, 19-year-old Xiao Yuting did not hesitate to participate in the 100-kilometer walk over two days and three cities in Hunan province.

More than 16,000 people signed up for the event held from Nov 11 to 12. The walk has been held annually since 2007, and about 90 percent of the participants are university students, many of whom want to create a special memory of their time at college.

The participants walked from Changsha to Xiangtan on Nov 11. After they rested in Xiangtan, they walked to Zhuzhou on Nov 12, and then took buses back to Changsha. Most of the walk is along the Xiangjiang River, an important tributary of the Yangtze River, dubbed the "mother river" of Hunan by locals.

There is a common belief among university students in Hunan that they have to obtain the certificate confirming they completed the 100-km walk to make their university experience whole. Encouraged by the enthusiasm for the event, Xiao, a sophomore at Hunan Women's University, took part with two of her classmates, even though she was the last one to finish the walk. "I had no idea how far 100 km is, and I was not sure whether I could finish it or not. But I am beyond happy and proud of myself that I did it," she said.

Due to the rain, her shoes and socks were soaked, and she could not feel her feet in the latter part of the walk due to the cold and constant walking. "I thought about quitting many times, and there were taxi drivers right beside us asking whether we wanted to take a taxi and saying what's the point of continuing to walk in such bad weather. Thankfully, none of us decided to give up," she said.

About 90 percent of participants finished the walk, the organizers said, adding that those who quit found their own way home. Xiao said one of the main reasons the event is popular with college students is that walking is much easier than running. College students also have the time and energy to participate in the walk, which requires less skill and fitness than running a marathon.

"As long as you put one foot before the other, you will reach the destination," she said. "It is definitely an experience worth remembering. No matter what difficulties I might run into in the future, this experience will motivate me to carry on for a little bit longer so I can get what I want."

For 20-year-old Liu Kang, finishing the walk not only proved he has a strong will and endurance, but also solidified his relationship with his girlfriend. At the end of the race, he publicly expressed his feelings for her. "As we reached the finishing line, a volunteer handed me the microphone and I mustered up the courage to tell her that I love her and want to walk by her side for the rest of our lives," said Liu, who is a junior at the Hunan University of Science and Technology.

They have been together for several months, and Liu said the walk intensified their feelings for each other as they talked extensively over the two days. His girlfriend knows that he is there to support her whenever she needs him, Liu said.

Her knees became swollen due to the long periods of walking, so he carried her on his back for a while and also offered her encouragement. "If we do not try seemingly crazy things when we are young and truly live our lives, we might regret it later on," he said.

While most people walked the distance, Dai Hao ran about 70 km of the course and was the first to reach the finish line. After the event, the 19-year-old from Hunan Normal University said he felt a strong sense of achievement and was pleased his running training had paid off.

"I could not feel my hands due to the cold, and I just kept running. After a while, I found out that there was no one in front of me and I realized that I could finish first," he said.

Dai said he became interested in running about a year ago and joined the university's running club. He said he was not interested in sports, but with the help and advice of club members, he can now run faster and has more stamina.