As the summer heat gradually receded, autumn emerged. The "ANTA Cup" Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School 2025 Academic Year First Run—titled "Chasing Dreams in Nanyan Yuan, Running Toward the Future" — kicked off energetically at the sports ground on the evening of August 27. Over a thousand new students, filled with anticipation, embarked on a new chapter of their lives at Nanyan Yuan through this dynamic event, with the atmosphere brimming with youthful vitality and passion.
The events
The Runners
Wang Jiahui, a Master’s student at HSBC Business School, spoke as a student representative. Sharing his rowing experience, he explained Peking University’s ethos of Building Character First and Foremost Through Sports stressing its importance in shaping character. He highlighted the campus’s great sports facilities and vibrant environment, and invited new students to join the rowing team to build self-confidence, self-reliance and resilience.
Wang Jiahui
Sun Yujie, an Olympic champion and faculty representative, urged all new students to embrace sports. She shared how sportsmanship means challenging oneself and persevering, and highlighted PKU’s strong sports resources and Shenzhen campus’s athletic excellence. She encouraged everyone to build a habit of lifelong exercise, noting that sports strengthen willpower, inspire wisdom, and shape character.
Sun Yujie
Dong Dong, ANTA Group athlete representative, shared how sports challenge and transcend the self, embodying the Olympic motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger—Together." He emphasized that running builds both physical and mental strength, and encouraged students to stay active and face challenges positively.
Dong Dong
Yuan Hongwei, alumni representative, discussed finding one’s path in the age of AI. Drawing from her tech investment experience, she stressed the need for perseverance and self-belief in entrepreneurship. She highlighted the value of physical and mental fitness, recommending running as ideal training, and praised the campus facilities. She urged students to see life as an “open field” define their own goals, and create unique stories in the AI era.
Yuan Hongwei
Following guided instructions, all faculty and students completed a thorough warm-up session ahead of the run. Moving to upbeat music, they diligently stretched muscles and mobilized joints, fully preparing for the run in a lively and harmonious atmosphere.
"The 2025 First Run of Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School now officially begins!" Together, they fired the starting gun. Its crisp sound pierced the sky, instantly igniting the excitement on site. The faculty and students sprinted out of the starting line with all their might, running vigorously forward.
Warm-up
A spectacular laser show unfolded on the sports ground, with multicolored lasers weaving and transforming across the sky to form dazzling patterns and words. Perfectly synchronized with the music, the display offered both a visual and auditory feast for all faculty and students. Everyone’s passion and enthusiasm echoed through the sky as the 2025 Mass Run of Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School concluded on a triumphant and inspiring note.
Splendid Moments
