Chinese woman’s post-retirement plan to run marathons has led her to complete over 100 marathons in the last 20 years
Wang Lang after completing the marathon
Most people choose to take it easy after they retire, but Liaoning-based Wang Lang, 70, is definitely not one of them. She only started running at the age of 50, as a way to keep in shape, but soon realised it was her passion. She ran her first marathon in 2004 and hasn’t stopped since, completing over 100 marathons.
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Lang set a new record, becoming the oldest person to ever complete the 168-km Liaoning marathon, within 40 hours
From 2005 to 2017, she completed the annual Beijing Marathon 13 times, and this year she set a new record, becoming the oldest person to ever complete the 168-km Liaoning marathon, within 40 hours. The previous year, she decided to register for the 110 km version of the marathon, and run alongside her best friend. She reportedly waited for her friend to catch up for about six hours, so that they could cross the finish line together, but this year she entered the marathon by herself, and chose the longest distance possible.
Lang says she runs at least 20 km six days a week, and on Sunday she runs more, alongside the members of her long-distance running club. She prefers running on mountain roads in her native Liaoning, but in winter, when the weather doesn’t permit, she runs on asphalt roads. Remarkably, she has suffered almost no injuries to her knees or ankles over the years, which she attributes to her harsh childhood, which hardened both her body and her spirit. Her only serious problem is the cataract affecting her eyes, which is why she completed the Liaoning marathon with the help of a headlamp that helped her see the way better.
20 KM
Distance she runs at least six days a week
Blocks for everyone
In honour of Pride Month, Lego has released a one-of-a-kind set that celebrates being queer
The first LGBTQIA+ themed Lego set called “Everyone is Awesome”—named after a song from the Lego movies—features 11 buildable, colourful figures, inspired by the rainbow flag. Each monochromatic person in the set has a different hairstyle and colour associated with them. The designers intentionally did not assign a gender to the figures. “I wanted to create a model that symbolises [sic] inclusivity and celebrates everyone, no matter how they identify or who they love,” set designer and design vice president Matthew Ashton, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, said.
Ashton also reflected on the struggles he faced as a queer child. “Looking back, if I had somebody alongside me, who gave me something like [this set] that said, ‘This is a token of how much you mean to me, and I’m here to support you,’ it would have meant so much to me,” he said. “We want to include everybody. No matter how young or old or what gender you are, Legos is for everybody.” The set comprises 346 bricks, and will be released on June 1.
This furry pooch is at your service
With her paws to the pavement, a golden retriever named Lily is serving up healthy puppy chow in doggy bags as one of the world’s first waiters of a food truck for dogs. A viral video of the perky pooch fetching food for her canine clientele has social media wagging its tail. “She loves other dogs, people and treats,” says owner Michael Ludden, 38. In the trending clip, the hospitable hound trots out of the food truck, holding the sack of snacks by the teeth. She then sweetly shakes her customer’s hand, thanking the woman. Footage of Lily carrying a pouch of plant-based goodies out to customers has amassed over 11.5 million views on TikTok.
Carolina man speaks and sings backwards
John Sevier Austin, a video editor from North Carolina, never fit in with the other kids. It wasn’t until a few years ago that he found out that he had Asperger’s Syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder on the autism spectrum, which gives him the unique ability to speak and sing backwards.
Check your weight before boarding a flight
Airlines could soon require plus-sized passengers to provide their weight before boarding the aircraft. The initiative, which was outlined in a recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory, will help ensure aircrafts, especially the small ones, don’t exceed their permissible weight limit.
To live longer, start eating chicken brains
Australia’s oldest-ever man Dexter Kruger has included eating chicken brains among his secrets to living for more than 111 years. The nursing home manger, Melanie Calvert from a nursing home in rural Queensland, said, “His memory is amazing for a 111-year-old.”
Would you replace your soap with snail slime?
French artisan Damien Desrocher is using gastropod fluid from snails to make soap bars, which he sells at local markets. Desrocher decided to start farming snails in the northern French town of Wahagnies, so that he could “return to nature”. He has raised a total of 60,000 snails. Desrocher said the slime contains molecules of collagen and elastin, which have anti-ageing and skin-healing properties.
Colour me red
Isabella Sheppard, 4, painted her face red with a lipstick, to look like her favourite cartoon character from Five Nights at Freddy’s. Her mum, a trainee beautician, Natalie, 26, tried to wipe it off with make-up remover and wet wipes. But despite hours of scrubbing, the lipstick was still stuck in her eyebrows. Natalie later shared her daughter’s antics on social media, leaving everyone in splits.
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