New York, May 18 – The NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon took place in New York City, where 64-year-old long-distance running enthusiast and Vice Chairman of the New York Asian Public Affairs Alliance, as well as a member of the Flushing Chinese Business Association (FCBA), Wang Baoming participated in the race once again. Wang expressed his enjoyment of each race he enters and highlighted the significance of running not only as physical exercise but also as a means of self-improvement and supporting charitable causes.
The race course started at the Brooklyn Museum and ended at the Coney Island Boardwalk. Participants began by traversing along the edge of Prospect Park before entering the park itself, and then running along Ocean Parkway all the way to the beach. Over 28,000 people took part in the event this year.
Wang Baoming, at the age of 64, completed the entire race in 1 hour, 34 minutes, and 39 seconds, achieving the 9th position in the 60-64 age group. Just two weeks prior on May 5, he finished The Jovia Long Island Marathon with a time of 3 hours, 38 minutes, and 28 seconds.
With an average of participating in two races per week, Wang Baoming has already registered for 97 races this year, anticipating participation in over a hundred races by year-end, marking the highest number of events he has been part of in recent years.
Recalling his time in Taiwan over 30 years ago, Wang Baoming used to frequently participate in long-distance running competitions across the island and was ranked among the top ten runners. Even after immigrating to the United States, he continued his passion for long-distance running. However, a few years back, an injury during a race made him give up competing in 2019, and the 2020 race was canceled due to the pandemic.
In 2021, he ran three races, followed by over 20 races in 2022 and more than 60 races in 2023. Wang Baoming emphasized that the more he runs, the more energetic he becomes, adding, “Up to now this year, I have signed up for 97 races – some have been completed, and some are yet to come.”
He iterated on his enjoyment of each race, citing the blend of physical training, self-challenge, sense of achievement, and supporting various charitable causes tied to each event, such as those benefiting cancer patients, firefighters, police officers, children, the environment, abused and stray dogs, among many other causes.
Alongside his race registrations, Wang Baoming also generously donates to support these initiatives, humorously mentioning that it constitutes his largest personal monthly expense.
Through his participation in running events, he has befriended many young athletes. Almost all competitions feature age-group awards, where he frequently clinches the first position in his age category. Young racers often express their respect for him, acknowledging the age gap with comments like, “I respect you a lot given that you’re twice my age.”
As a member of the Asian community, Wang Baoming finds it crucial not to be pigeonholed into stereotypical images by other ethnic groups. Meeting 27-year-old ace runner Ryan Clifford, who won the 1st place in The Jovia Long Island Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 4 seconds, Wang Baoming struck a friendship with him during the event and was invited to train together.
Sharing his running experience, Wang Baoming emphasized the importance of having interest, perseverance, and focusing less on results while aiming to train the body and maintain health. He expressed his willingness to encourage more Chinese individuals to engage in long-distance running, using his own experiences to motivate others to participate in the sport while also giving back to society.