On this week’s Runner’s World Show:

  • Editor-in-Chief David Willey talks with Executive Editor Tish Hamilton about his recent trip to China, and how the country's running culture mirrors our own. (1:07) 
  • In the Kick, we discuss why selling your race bib is a bad idea, a new FDA warning that runners should heed, and what makes Desiree Linden such a fun marathoner to watch. (36:48)

Running in China

Dong Li
David Willey
David Willey with Dong Li, one of the top female ultrarunners from China. They spoke at the X Trail offices, a company that operates ultra races in the country.

When David Willey went to China, he planned to look at the country through the lens of running, and figured he’d see a pretty wide cultural divide.

“I went over there expecting running to be a window on our differences,” he says in this week’s episode. “Instead, I ended up finding that running was a reflection of what we have in common. And that was a pretty cool thing to come home with.” 

Willey interviewed about a dozen people including recreational runners and elite athletes. He ran a 10K, ran (a little) on the Great Wall, explored hutongs in Beijing, and got lost on the run until he shadowed another runner who (unknowingly) led David to his destination—the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.  

Interview
David Willey interviewing Audrey Jie, whose Chinese name is Wang Jie. She is a recreational runner who works as an anchor for the CCTV sports channel.
Hutong
David Willey
On one of his last runs before flying home, David Willey ran through several hutongs, or networks of alleyways where people live and work.

He sat down with Executive Editor Tish Hamilton—who adopted her daughter from China and has visited the country twice—to talk about some of the surprises he encountered (postrace meat on a stick), the challenges of running in (very bad) traffic, and how running is booming in the most populous place in the world. 

Check out more photos from David’s trip below:

China Shoes
David Willey
All the major running brands have a presence in China, and many of them are routinely knocked off, too. David Willey spotted these on the street in Shanghai.

The Kick

Shoes & Gear:

Episode Credits:

The Runner’s World Show is hosted by Editor-in-Chief David Willey.

The podcast is produced by Sylvia Ryerson, Christine Fennessy, and Brian Dalek.

Our theme music is “So I Run” by Thunderhoof.

Interviews on the podcast have been edited for length and clarity. Got a story idea for the show? Send it to rwaudio@rodale.com.

Headshot of Brian Dalek
Brian Dalek
Director of Content Operations Runner’s World & Bicycling

Brian has spent more than a decade focused on creating compelling news, health, and fitness content—with a particular interest on enthusiast activities like running and cycling. He’s coordinated coverage of major events like the Paris Olympics, Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, and Tour de France, with an eye toward both the professional race and the engaging stories readers love.