On the eve of the new year, Beijing experienced a cold front with temperatures dropping to minus 10 degrees Celsius. A group of fitness enthusiasts gathered on the newly constructed DPU fitness pathway at the National Olympic Sports Center to kick off the new year with a healthy run. At the seventh 'Welcoming the New Year, Striding Towards a Brighter Tomorrow' fitness walk and the unveiling ceremony of the DPU fitness pathway, residents from nearby communities and all staff members of the National Olympic Sports Center experienced the 2.5-kilometer-long pathway.
▲Key participants in the ribbon-cutting ceremony included Li Quanhai, Director of the National Olympic Sports Center; Lin Xiaohua, Party Secretary; Geng Baoquan, Tan Ying, and Zhang Hongxia, Deputy Directors; Cai Lin, Deputy Director of the Asian Games Village Sub-district Office; Chen Ding, London Olympics Men's 20km Race Walk Champion; Lin Fanqiu, Chairman of DBC Group Co., Ltd.; Han Wei, Business Director for Greater China of the Building Business in BASF's Performance Materials Division; and Zhang Yunzhong, Chairman of Zhonghao Yinhe Industrial Co., Ltd.
▲Lin Fanqiu, Chairman of DBC Group, delivered a speech on behalf of his company.
In 2019, the National Olympic Sports Center conducted thorough research and actively sought out high-quality social resources to re-pave the 2.5-kilometer-long fitness pathway within its premises. This DPU fitness pathway utilizes advanced elastic materials known as ETPU, also referred to as popcorn material, which is characterized by its high elasticity, environmental friendliness, and durability. Despite the cold winter in Beijing, this running track maintains excellent shock absorption, providing maximum protection for the knee joints of fitness enthusiasts and runners, making it one of the international high-quality fitness pathways.
National Olympic Sports Center: Witnessing the Revival of China's Sports Sector
Every day, many local residents in the vicinity of the National Olympic Sports Center engage in physical activities such as running, skipping rope, and fitness exercises. Mass fitness has long been integrated into the daily lives of the local population, just as it is at the National Olympic Sports Center.
Over the past three decades, as a window for China's sports development to the outside world, the National Olympic Sports Center has hosted major sporting events such as the 11th Asian Games, the 21st World University Games, and the 2008 Olympics, among others. These events have been greatly appreciated by the general public. The growth and development of the National Olympic Sports Center have witnessed the revitalization of China's sports sector. In the new era, the National Olympic Sports Center is actively exploring new models and approaches for mass fitness work, promoting the concepts of healthy exercise and scientific fitness to a wider audience. It is also building and improving various fitness facilities within its premises with an international perspective, aiming to provide better and more diverse fitness experiences to the public.
National Olympic Sports Center Director Li Quanhai emphasized in his speech that as a national-level mass fitness demonstration base, the center has always taken the responsibility of constructing public sports services. It continuously enhances its facilities, creates fitness organizations, organizes public events, provides fitness guidance, and promotes sports culture. In recent years, the center has hosted over 28 million mass fitness activities annually.
▲ National Olympic Sports Center Director Li Quanhai presented plaques to representatives from BASF and DBC Group.
The 'Welcoming New Year for a Better Tomorrow' event has been held consecutively for seven years, receiving enthusiastic responses from nearby fitness enthusiasts. With the promulgation of the 'Outline of the Construction of a Sports Powerhouse,' the Olympic Sports Center is committed to making its mass fitness activities more refined and superior, reaching a broader audience. We hope to promote more people's participation in sports through public welfare sports activities, bring joy through exercise, and also promote personal health, family harmony, and social peace, contributing to a moderately prosperous society.
The DPU Fitness Path: Three Technologies Make the Track Stand Out
According to reports, this DPU fitness path uses Infinergy ETPU particles, a polyurethane thermoplastic foamed material invented by BASF, a world-leading chemical company. DBC Group, a pioneer in new materials application innovation, has creatively applied it to sports venues. Lin Fanqiu, the chairman of DBC Group, believes that 'the fitness path project at the Olympic Sports Center is an exemplary case of innovative application of new technologies and materials in mass fitness facilities.'
We are confident that this DPU track will be the world's most environmentally friendly fitness path. It is not only environmentally friendly but also protects exercisers' knee joints from injury, maintaining excellent elasticity even in sub-zero winter temperatures in Beijing. High-quality sports venue facilities will help promote mass fitness more widely and smoothly. We hope that people can run to health and vitality on this track, and we wish for more comfortable, environmentally friendly, and durable tracks in the future to bring happiness to the nation.
According to Hans Wei, Business Director of the Construction Sector in the Greater China Region of BASF's Performance Materials Division, the DPU fitness path is a series of systems developed jointly by BASF and DBC Group, utilizing various types of novel materials. It features ETPU cushioning technology, zero-VOC odorless technology, and UV-resistant aging technology. Not only does it meet all environmental requirements stipulated in the new national standard GB36246-2018 drafted by the Ministry of Education, but it also complies with the most stringent impact protection standards for sports surfaces in Europe and America.
Zhang Yunzhong, Chairman of Zhonghao Galaxy Industrial Co., Ltd., expressed gratitude to the Olympic Sports Center for providing the company with an opportunity to serve society and offer a healthy lifestyle to Beijing residents. He said,
In the new decade: run freely, healthily, and comfortably
Despite the cold weather, participants were enthusiastic. A resident of the Asian Games Village subdistrict said: 'I started exercising here in 1990—nearly thirty years ago. The Olympic Sports Center is part of our lives; it feels as though something is missing if we do not come for a walk.' The resident added that the center had built a fitness path, provided free physical-fitness testing, distributed scientific-fitness guides, organized public-interest activities and, according to what participants had heard, arranged insurance for attendees. The resident also expressed happiness at joining Olympic race-walking champion Chen Ding for the walk.
In March 2018, the General Administration of Sport of China, National Development and Reform Commission, and 12 other ministries jointly issued the 'One Million Kilometer Fitness Path Project Implementation Plan,' aiming to complete approximately 300 kilometers of fitness paths in each county (city, district) by 2020 to promote widespread fitness activities.
Fitness paths are crucial carriers for mass fitness. Their environmental safety and durability are vital for the health of the public, impacting the effective implementation of a Healthy China strategy. As we approach 2020 and embark on a new decade, not only must we get moving and start running, but we must also run freely, healthily, and comfortably!
▲ At the 2019 TiE Expo, DBC Group unveiled a DPU fitness path product system solution.
