Beijing students run to build stronger bodies

Beijing students running

(BEIJING, March 9) -- Over 1,000 students from 82 universities and colleges in Beijing participated in a 2,008-m run on Sunday to promote fitness and a favorable campus atmosphere for the upcoming Olympic Games.

The students promised to spend 10 weeks in the flag-relay run along eight routes, which will have an estimated 200,000 participants.

Liu Jian, secretary of the Beijing Municipal Youth Organization, gives a signal to long-distance runners.

More than 100,000 students in China's capital have taken part in the fitness campaign since November 2007.

They ran, relayed a torch, and did physical exercises, with an aim at preparing themselves for the Olympics this August.

The route of the flag relay rerunning campaign

The flag-awarding ceremony