Writer: Cindy Zhang

Over 3,000 volunteers, including expats, served the first Shenzhen Bao’an International Marathon that took place Dec. 4 last year, making the event more meaningful with their smiles and their sweat.

To give more professional services to the marathoners, all of the volunteers underwent training before the marathon. They woke up at 3 a.m. on the day of the marathon to give instructions to runners and prepare food and drinks for them. Some volunteers even stayed on their posts for eight or nine hours consecutively.

Jason McDonald is a foreign teacher at Fuyong Middle School. He formed a volunteer group with another 23 expatriate teachers in Bao’an to help give awards to the first 20 runners that completed the half marathon.

McDonald thinks that Bao’an is an open and inclusive area because he and the other expats there are feeling at home living in the district. “I would love to become part of this community,” said McDonald who is willing to do more volunteer work in Shenzhen while he is here.

Xie Lianping was one of the volunteers who was in charge of handing out energy drinks and bottled water to runners at the marathon’s last supply booth. After running 20 kilometers, most of the runners would ask for a drink at this point.