The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will feature its first publicly available mass-participation marathon, a historic event that has drawn about 800,000 registrations worldwide.
Shen is among the lucky five per cent selected to compete.
He took up running to lose weight in 2015, a decision that changed his life .
His journey began when his wife, pointing at the slim figures of actors in a Korean drama, remarked: “Look how fit they are. You’ve got a bit chubby, haven’t you?”
Family members also commented that he “got fat even before middle age”.
He initially tried eating only cucumbers for dinner for a month, which proved ineffective.
Frustrated with dieting, Shen began running around West Lake – a well-known beauty spot in Hangzhou – which is 10.8 kilometres per circuit.
Initially, he could only manage three or four kilometres. On one occasion, after he pushed himself to cover 7km, he ended up vomiting and clinging to a tree with exhaustion.
However, watching other runners effortlessly passing by, he imagined himself achieving a similar state of ease and vitality if he persisted.
Over the following year, Shen ran more than 160 laps around West Lake, lost 20 kilos and gradually learned to love running.
“Running has not only improved my physical appearance but more importantly, it has given me confidence, health, vigour and focus,” Shen said.
From March 2016, he began officially taking part in marathon races.
Shen’s journey has not been without setbacks.
His first half-marathon was particularly challenging because he did not have the right running shoes and he suffered from blisters.
“I could not walk properly for a week,” Shen told the mainland publication Dushikuaibao.
After diligent training, he became one of the first two Chinese nationals to serve as pacers at the 2017 Sydney Marathon.
A pacer is an experienced runner who leads a group to finish within a target time, setting the pace for the group.
“I was very nervous at first,” he said.
“But at the finish line, the locals handed me the Chinese flag, allowing me to proudly cross the line with it. It felt like I was bringing honour to my country,” Shen told Yeren Sports.
Currently, he runs about 300km every month, according to an interview with Pear Video.
Even after marrying in 2016 then having two children, Shen has maintained his disciplined routine.
He starts his days with a run, buys breakfast on the way back, wakes his family, drops his son at school, then heads to work. He uses his lunch breaks for fitness routines and dedicates 1-2 hours to running after work.
In 2020, he ran his first full marathon in under three hours, a big achievement that is a milestone in the sport.
Shen hopes to motivate his 8 million followers on social media to understand and embrace the sport.
He has also established a running group to encourage regular training among enthusiasts.
“Hearing about a professional athlete’s victory feels distant. But the idea that a marathon can be a sport for everyone is powerful because it involves ordinary people around you,” Shen said.