The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature the first public marathon, making it a historic event with approximately 800,000 people registered to participate from around the world.
Shen is one of the lucky 5% selected to take part in the contest.
He started running in 2015 to lose weight, and the decision changed his life.
His journey began when his wife pointed out the slim figures of actors in Korean dramas and said, “Look, they're so toned. You've put on a bit of weight, haven't you?”
His family also commented that he had gained weight before reaching middle age.
He first tried eating only cucumbers for dinner for a month, but it didn't work.
After failing to lose weight, Shen started running 10.8 kilometers around West Lake, a famous scenic spot in Hangzhou.
At first, he could only run three or four kilometers. At one point, after trying to run seven kilometers, he vomited and was so exhausted that he had to cling to a tree.
But as I watched other runners glide by with ease, I imagined that if I tried hard enough, I could reach a similar state of ease and energy.
Over the next year, Shen ran more than 160 laps around West Lake, lost 20kg, and gradually developed a love for running.
“Running has not only improved my appearance, but more importantly it has given me confidence, health, energy and focus,” Shen said.
He began officially participating in marathons in March 2016.
Shen's journey was not without setbacks.
His first half marathon was particularly difficult because he didn't have the right running shoes and suffered from blisters.
“I couldn't walk properly for a week,” Shen told mainland China newspaper Duchengjibao.
After hard training, he became one of the first two Chinese pacemakers at the 2017 Sydney Marathon.
A pacer is an experienced runner who sets the pace for the group and guides them to finish within the target time.
“I was very nervous at first,” he said.
“But at the finish line, the locals handed me the Chinese flag and I was able to cross the line proudly with it. I felt like I had brought honour to my country,” Shen told Yellensports.
According to an interview with Pear Video, he currently rides around 300km every month.
Even after getting married in 2016 and having two children, Shen has maintained a disciplined lifestyle.
He starts his day with a run, buys breakfast on the way home, wakes up his family, takes his son to school, then heads to work. He uses his lunch break for fitness and after work he spends an hour or two running.
In 2020, he completed his first full marathon in under three hours, a groundbreaking achievement in his sport.
Shen hopes to encourage his eight million social media followers to understand and embrace the sport.
He also founded a running group to encourage regular training among running enthusiasts.
“When you hear about professional athletes winning, it feels like a far-away story. But the idea that marathon running is a sport that anyone can enjoy is powerful because it involves ordinary people around us,” Shen said.
