Kids race toward healthier futures in China

Children students celebrate after participating in a tennis summer camp at a tennis club in Beijing, China, Aug. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

On a warm weekend in early summer, thousands of muddy, panting and determined children sprinted, crawled and climbed their way through the obstacle-packed Spartan Kids race in Beijing.

The race, held May 24-25 at Beijing's Universal CityWalk, drew children aged 4 to 14 to tackle 3-to-5-kilometer courses featuring 18 to 26 obstacles. Kids vaulted over walls, scaled nets and grappled with monkey bars, while parents cheered wildly from the sidelines.

"There are definitely moments when my children feel exhausted and want to give up, but that's how they grow," said six-time Olympic gold medalist Ma Long, after running alongside his sons.

The rising popularity of events like the Spartan Kids race reflects a growing interest in children's fitness in China, alongside a national push to get more kids moving -- especially at a time when childhood obesity is becoming a serious public health concern.

According to the National Health Commission (NHC), nearly 19 percent of Chinese children aged 6 to 17 are classified as overweight or obese. Research predicts that overweight and obesity rates among Chinese children could reach 31.8 percent by 2030.

In response, China is stepping up efforts to alter this trend. Notably, a three-year national weight management campaign was launched in 2024, while the government is also calling for stronger weight control measures among infants, children and adolescents.

In April 2025, the NHC issued a notice encouraging eligible hospitals, including children's hospitals and traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, to establish specialized weight management clinics.

The country is also placing greater emphasis on physical education (PE) in schools. In Beijing, new guidelines call for more intense PE classes, designed to make students "work up a sweat."

George Liang, aged 12 and a fifth grader in Beijing, is one of many students embracing the change. His school now has a PE class every day, along with regular long recess sessions that ensure plenty of time for outdoor activities.

Liang revealed that running is his favorite way to stay active, while more recently he has also developed a love for table tennis, playing this sport daily with his younger brother and neighborhood friends.

"Sports make me feel relaxed and happy," he said. "I've made new friends, and I eat better after exercising."

This Children's Day, Liang is putting his passion into action by competing in an orienteering race. "It sounds fun and creative! I hope I can do a great job!"

Meanwhile, Hunan Province in central China has invited local sports clubs to co-teach school lessons, including swimming classes led by professional coaches. Shenzhen, located in south China's Guangdong Province, began requiring one PE class per day at schools in early 2024, a decision which has seen the percentage of students earning "good" or "excellent" marks in national fitness tests increasing by over six percent in this city.

Many families have shown enthusiasm for this shift in their own ways. In the case of Keke, who traveled from nearby Tianjin Municipality in north China to compete in Beijing, the Spartan race has become more than a sporting event for her family -- instead becoming a way of life.

"This is our sixth Spartan race," said Keke's mother. "We join whenever there's a race in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, if we are free. This time, we also visited Universal Studios in Beijing. It has become our family tradition -- fitness, travel and quality time all rolled into one."

At the finish line of the Spartan Kids race in the Chinese capital, kids could be seen sharing high-fives in celebration while parents snapped muddy selfies, prompting multiple Olympic champion Ma to exclaim: "I just hope they keep loving sports. And to all the parents out there -- keep cheering and keep believing, your kids will go further than we ever did."