# Running outdoors



## Mike in China (Jun 26, 2011)

I arrived in Shenzhen on Friday. I am a consultant and will be here for an extended period of time. While here, I will also be training for the marathon. 

Because I do not usually run indoors, I thought I'd attempt to run outdoors here as well. I went for a run through the streets of Futian yesterday and everyone looked at me as if I was an alien from another planet. I wasn't offended - I expected some odd looks. This was just way beyond anything that I ever expected. I cut my run to a nice short 5k. 

I am a healthy normal looking white male in American running shorts and a sleeveless Nike shirt. Was everyone looking at me because:

A) I'm not Chinese and tourists just do not venture away from the hotels in non expat areas
B) Running on the sidewalks/streets is not done by anyone in China
C) It was 90 degrees outside. 
D) My American clothes, iPod arm band, and wireless headphones
E) I was running on the sidewalk and should have been running on streets
F) Other...

Nevertheless, I ran indoors on the treadmill today. I'll get back out there - just curious as to other folks' thoughts for now. 

Thanks in advance. 

Mike


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## sxy (Jul 5, 2011)

Hi Mike,

I would say B）
Chinese is not very much into sports like people from those western countries. So you don't see lots of young people doing outdoor activities. You just need to get used to it


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## earlywarm (Jun 5, 2011)

I would say ALL of the above are the reasons. I would disagree with sxy that Chinese are not into sports - they love badminton and I see Chinese exercising in the parks almost every day doing Tai Chi, dancing, rock climbing and other Chinese things. The Chinese also walk alot and bicycle a lot. Few of them run for amusement - its a solitary game, not suited to Chinese personality. 

Most Chinese outside Beijing or Shanghai would still find a "white male in American running shorts and a sleeveless Nike shirt" like something from another planet. Let alone seeing one of these strange creatures 'running' with "iPod arm band, and wireless headphones ". This might be compared to seeing the headless horseman riding through the streets on a black stallion in broad daylight.


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## GrahamWeifang (Dec 14, 2012)

I would say the Chinese are very much into fitness and sports.
Just not the way you guys in America would go about it.

I can very much understand why they looked and stared at you.
Running and jogging up and down the Jia's an up the Lu's is just not done in China.
You will see a few joggers in the parks though.
Apart from that, I have seen joggers along the side of the river, which is a pedestrianised affair, some 4 meters wide, and running for mile, after mile, after mile.
Apart from that, they will be in the many fitness centers, running the tread mills, of playing indoor basketball/netball and other related energy sapping sports.

I don't think I have ever seen any one running down the Jia, and if I did, I guess I would be one of the many "lookers and starer's"

Gra.


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## GreenGene (Oct 27, 2012)

Find a local high school or university and enjoy their better than average padded rubberized tracks. But try to run either late night or around 5am so you don't have to breathe huge amounts of exhaust and coal dust in the winter months. The air quality in most parts of Beijing is perhaps a little better than living next door to a Pittsburgh steel mill.


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## ikreton (Oct 29, 2012)

I'm moving to Beijing in July and this has been a big concern of mine as well. I've actually never run on a treadmill and the thought of it kind of scares me.


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## Vincent China (Dec 27, 2012)

Hi Mike,

Personally i think the answer is :
B) Running on the sidewalks/streets is not done by anyone in China

Chinese people doesn't know the use of sidewalk and pavement in my opinion.

If you wanna run in Shenzhen, you have some quiet areas like OCT Bay or Nanshan Mountain, maybe you can try 

Vincent.


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