I saw 34 minutes and 50 seconds on the timer ahead of me and made one final push. With the crowd and an announcer cheering me on, I made it over the line at 34:59. It was my first time under 35 minutes and five seconds faster than my previous personal best in my first race in nearly seven years.
The journey behind the moment
Originally from the United Kingdom, I was first inspired to run by watching my dad and uncle run a half-marathon when I was only eight years old. After a few runs with my dad, I was soon out training on my own. After running seriously for a few years, I began to discover many of the benefits. It relaxes you. It can help you think and reflect. It helps you sleep well. It makes you feel happier and healthier. More importantly, I joined a club and participated in many races. These instilled in me a sense of friendly competition and a desire for self-improvement, which helped me develop as a person. What's more, running made me stronger and enhanced my performance in other sports.
Through my teenage years, I developed other interests and took a break from running. Then at university I was ready to try again, so I found a club and some teammates. As your body grows and develops, you need to readapt. I suffered from injuries. While I had races, I was proud of, these made it difficult to improve.
The author runs with his friends. [Photo provided to en.wuxi.gov.cn]
But soon, everything changed. In 2016, a university friend and very strong athlete organized a two-week training holiday in Font Romeu, the training camp in France used by athletes like Mo Farah and other UK Olympians. Surrounded by dedicated athletes, I found a new sense of determination and grit that supported my running, but also carried over into all areas of my life and has helped drive everything I do since.
Pushing limits and building a life
No longer wanting to allow old barriers to hold me back, I researched and found new ways of strengthening my body. Doing daily exercises for my legs, core and arms, I worked to build my running mechanics and injury resistance. Combined with higher mileage and intensity training, I saw rapid improvements over the span of just a few months. This included much better performance in races and led to some of my proudest moments, including my half marathon personal best of 1 hour, 15 minutes and 19 seconds. This culminated in successfully running my second marathon in London in 2017, 27 minutes quicker than my previous performance, despite difficulties in preparation.
The author poses for a photo with his friend. [Photo provided to en.wuxi.gov.cn]
However, I needed to take some time to rest. Over the following two years, I continued to run, but also tried new sports, including lots of cycling and some swimming.
Soon, it was time for something new. My career was taking me to China as a teacher.
I worked in Guiyang, Guizhou province, for three years before moving to Jiangsu. After a year in Suzhou, I came to Wuxi. I love it here. The city is quieter and more peaceful than others, which makes it a wonderful place to live. It has so much to offer. It has a modern city feel in many places, but also older parts like Huishan Ancient Town and Nanchang Street. With Taihu Lake, Lihu Lake and many big parks, as well as the Wuxi Marathon, it is a heaven for runners. In addition to working and running, I love to spend time exploring the different parts of the city.
I have now been in China for almost seven years and have never stopped running. I always go out, sometimes even daily. Running has become a regular, normal part of my life, something I do without even thinking about it.
For me, there are so many reasons to run – to relax, to think, to compete, to develop one's physical ability, to socialize and spend time with friends, and to just enjoy oneself.
A new chapter begins
Over the last year, I have been preparing for another race. To get ready for the marathon, I upped my training months beforehand. When Douglas Dueno and Anne Pan advertised the 10k race in Wuxi's Yangshan, I was excited to join.
I did some fast-training sessions in the two weeks leading up to it, including two sessions at my target 10k pace.
Then the day came. Arriving with the team, we were all excited and raring to go. Soon it was time to warm up and then line up at the starting line. The atmosphere was electric.
The starting gun fired and it was time to go. I passed a few runners and found my pace. One km in, I found myself in a difficult situation – there was a group of runners 20 meters ahead of me and another 20 meters behind me. I ran on my own for a time but eventually caught up to two of the runners ahead of me. I ran with one of them for 2 km. Then it got really tough – I was getting tired and the sun was getting hotter. But in the last km, I found a bit more in me and just pushed to the finish.
The author poses for a photo at Huishan Ancient Town. [Photo provided to en.wuxi.gov.cn]
My running journey hasn't been easy. There have been plenty of ups and downs, but I'm starting to feel the benefits of all that time — stronger, more durable, and able to handle more training. I'm excited to be racing again.
Running is a sport that can do so much for you both physically and mentally and I would recommend it to anyone.
As for Wuxi, it is a beautiful and peaceful city, and I love living here.
The race in Yangshan offered long, straight roads that were great for running. There were beautiful peach blossoms along the way, as well as wonderful and supportive crowds. It was a spectacular event. I hope to see you there next time!
Joel Pope from the United Kingdom competed in the 2026 Chinese Athletics Association 10KM Elite Series Wuxi Yangshan stop on March 29, finishing in eighth place. He currently works in Wuxi.
If you would like to share your Wuxi stories, then send us your writings at wuxiexpatstories@163.com.
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