This Chinese Runner Got Her Period Half Way Through A Marathon But Kept Running And Finished The Race
Videos showed Li continuing to run despite her thigh being covered with large amounts of menstrual blood.
A Chinese woman runner has garnered significant attention on social media after she got her period half way through a marathon but kept going.
25-year-old Li Meizhen, who hails from Fujian in China, was competing in a marathon in Hebei province on Sep. 22, when she suddenly got her period during the 34th kilometer.
Videos showed Li continuing to run despite her thigh being covered with large amounts of menstrual blood.
She ultimately finished the 42-kilometer race.
Taking to social media afterwards, Li said she decided to finish the race because she had to meet a criteria to complete two marathon championships this year.
“If I had quit, this would mean I would have to run another marathon, which is why I decided to finish this one,” she wrote. “It doesn’t matter if my result wasn’t good; I just needed to finish it.”
The video has gone viral on Chinese social media, sparking a debate.
Some people said that athletes should properly prepare for their periods, while others praised her decision to keep running.
This isn’t the first time Li faced unexpected health issues during a race. In a half-marathon in Hebei last year, she suffered side stitches due to the high intensity of the race. She finished the competition in the end, breaking her personal best record and achieving record time for China’s woman half marathon.