Apr 25, 2021|
JDer Blazes to Personal Best at JD-Sponsored Beijing Half Marathon
by Ella Kidron
The Beijing Half Marathon officially kicked off at 7 a.m. on Apr. 24. One hour, 10 minutes and 31 seconds later, JD Logistics employee Yushuai Luan blazed to the finish line, fifth overall and first among non-professional runners.
Luan, who is affectionately known as “Xiao Shuai” (“Little Handsome”) at work and in running circles, was one of a team of employees from JD Logistics’ North China region who represented the company on the course. He explained that seeing the sea of red JD Logistics’ logos everywhere he turned made this race different from others in the past.
The JD Logistics Beijing Half Marathon team
“There was this absolute feeling of being on your ‘home court,’” said Luan of the experience. Representing JD Logistics in the race and achieving a personal best in the meantime made it extra special. “Just as we do every day at work, everyone wanted to give their all and maximize their contribution for the company,” he explained excitedly.
Luan is now four years into his running career, which he discovered through participating in the Beijing International Marathon in 2017 when JD Logistics was the official supplier for the event. Before then, he always had a love for running, but was hesitant to try the distance. With encouragement from colleagues, a 4:23:23 achieved with no training in 2017, has become a 2:25:25.
Luan now has many marathons under his belt. Last year, he was also part of a team that represented JD at the BMW Hood to Coast relay race where JD was a special partner and JD Logistics provided all of the supplies for the event while JD Super set up a makeshift supermarket to provide snacks and beverages mid-way through the race.
For this Beijing Half Marathon 2021, JD Logistics provided a wide range of services to including warehousing, transportation, and delivery of goods needed before, during and after the event. The company prepared 1,500 square meters of warehouses, almost 1000 e-vehicles for transportation, 20 vehicles to serve as storage lockers and more than 300 staff members.
It is the fourth consecutive time for JDL to provide logistics services for the Beijing Half Marathon. JD also title-sponsored the Suqian marathon earlier this month. Suqian is home to the company’s largest customer service center, as well as multiple of its innovations.