On April 28, the starting pistol for (Tainan City) Anding District’s 2018 Run for Health was fired at 8am, starting a road race that featured nearly 900 runners this year. Participants signed in and warmed up at Anding Junior High School’s sports ground, and the scene was overflowing with healthy and youthful vibes.
The divisions for this year’s race were elementary, junior high, and an open division (or community division), which all ran a distance of 7km. In addition to the more than 500 students and faculty from Anding Junior High, nearly 300 others from the community as well as elementary-aged students took part in this grand event. Anding District Chief Liu Shih-Hsiung and Anding Junior High School Principal Chen Hui-ju were in charge of shooting the starting pistol. Once it was fired, one after another, the runners took off, creating a scene that was brimming with joy and good feelings.
District Chief Liu said that Anding’s Run for Health road race has been going on for years and that holding the event is beneficial in two ways; it helps district residents develop healthy exercise habits as well as brings different people in the community closer together. Race organizers sought to encourage participants by, like in the past, awarding them prizes and certificates while this year featured top shelf peanut brittle from a local business. So, people in the race not only felt healthier and younger, as they also developed a greater understanding of Anding District’s agricultural goods.