SCU Launching 120K Online Road Run for Upcoming 120th Anniversary

To celebrate its 120^th anniversary amid the threat of COVID-19 pandemic, Soochow University is launching a month-long “Soochow Online 120K Road Run Challenge.” On August 26^th, 2020, at Waishuangshi Campus, President Wei-Ta Pan announced the upcoming start of this special race with a total of 149 participating runners of 31 teams composed of Soochow alumni at home and abroad, faculty and staff, as well as retirees.

As the outbreak of COVID-19 remains intense worldwide, and forbids the homecoming of many Soochow alumni abroad, the school, under full support by the chairman of the Alumni Association Chi-Jen Liu, decided to involve alumni in this year’s anniversary celebration regardless of geographical restrictions with this creative and trendy online road run.

At the announcement ceremony, the director of the Office of Physical Education Jiceh-Der Dong Fang unveiled a daily running schedule to guide every participant to gradually increase the intensity of running day by day.

President Pan personally sponsored NT$250 to each runner in her or his application fees, while the chairman of Xiezhong International Guang-qing Lin also donated NT$1.2 million for the event, both winning loud cheers and applauses.

Toward the end of the launching ceremony, everyone moved to the sports field, and President Pan and many captains of the participating teams led their team members to start the race symbolically. From September 1^st to 30^th, the runners will be running around the clock wherever they are, domestically or internationally, in a relay format.