Dear USTCers, do you have a good exercise habit? Do you ever feel it is hard to keep exercising because lack of support from partners when exhausted? Have you seen the shining stars on the playground recently? The Light Run is right underway.

The 2020 Light Run was launched on October 19, to enhance the students' physical fitness, cultivate good exercise habits, and create an easy atmosphere for exercise. Campus life is not only about the study, but also about sports.

Each runner receives light armband and warm up and stretch guide from volunteers before start. 

Volunteers guiding participants to warm up and stretch. (Image by Association of Running Enthusiasts)

Two groups, 530 and 630, are available for runners to choose from. The number stands for the pace: 530 or 630 seconds per kilometer. Pacemakers lead the whole 5-kilometer distance. After the running, the professional staff will teach all runners to stretch again to prevent injuries and relieve fatigue.

The Light Run participants said that running can take them away from pressure, not only to ease physically and mentally but also to build up the body and strength. Some freshmen commented that they benefited a lot by meeting like-minded friends here and getting used to college life more quickly.

Delayed photo of runners. The light armbands flow like stars. (Image by Association of Running Enthusiasts)

Since this semester, more attention has been paid to exercise and health, and the students' enthusiasm for participating in extracurricular activities has increased greatly.

In its first week, the activity has attracted nearly 200 participants each night, and the total distance of 4 nights has reached 4000 kilometers. In the next following weeks, more participants are expected to put on the light band, and shine like stars on the playground.

So, do you want to be one of the night runners? The activity starts at 9:45 p.m. every Monday to Thursday (Monday and Wednesday on the East Campus, Tuesday and Thursday on the West Campus). More information about the events and the runner association on the WeChat official account ustc_runner.

(Written by HU Xiaowen, edited by HU Dongyin, USTC News Center)