“Seeing these kids who love running, I see a ray of hope for the development of sports. I hope they treat running as a hobby and even more as a lifelong benefit,” said Li Zeyang, the men’s 100m champion at the 15th National Games, on May 10 in Shanghai.
That day, the adidas “Tomorrow’s Playground” Youth Running Camp kicked off at the Communist Youth League Sports Field of East China Normal University. The event centered around “relay racing,” creating an immersive sports experience that allowed children to enjoy the fun of sprinting and teamwork in a real sports setting.
The running camp marked the first offline joint practice between adidas and the China Institute of Sport Science under the General Administration of Sport of China, following a deep technical partnership reached in December 2025. As adidas-sponsored athletes, Li Zeyang and Li Yuting, the women’s 200m silver medalist at the 15th National Games, served as “training coaches.” The athletes demonstrated baton passing techniques, led warm-up sessions, fired the starting gun for the “youth relay race,” and presented awards to winning individuals and teams, inspiring the children’s passion for sports through the power of athletic role models.
During an interview, Li Zeyang praised the young participants’ athletic energy and shared his two core beliefs for continuous progress: “First, you must love the sport. Without passion, you cannot achieve your best.”
