A thrilling half-marathon was held in Beijing Aerospace City in the Chinese capital's urban Haidian District on Saturday.
As part of the activities to mark the Space Day of China, the sporting event featured run distances spanning 5km, 10km, and 21.1km, with the participants mostly from the frontlines of space research.
For the first time, this year's race saw a humanoid robot participating as a pacesetter. It came after Beijing staged the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon last month, showcasing the country's progress in boosting its robotics industry.
Zou Jingyuan, a Chinese Olympic champion in men's parallel bars, and Wu Yanni, a female Chinese track and field star, were also present to set the pace for the competition in support of the runners.
Astronauts Deng Qingming and Li Cong, who were crew members of Shenzhou-15 and Shenzhou-18 manned spaceflight missions, respectively, presented the awards to the winners.
"We are living in a great era that gives us the confidence to run. It encourages innovation, embraces diversity, and enables every one of us with dreams to find our own track. Keep running and our dreams will eventually come true," said Li Cong.
"A marathon has a finish line, but our journey has no finish line, but only a beginning. We aim for the vast universe and aim to build the country into a great space power. In this great journey, we space workers will remain true to our original aspiration, keep our mission in mind, and forge ahead with determination," Deng said.
Home to the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, the China Academy of Space Technology and the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, the Beijing Aerospace City is the hub of the country's space industry.
Since 2016, China has marked a Space Day annually on April 24.
Half-marathon held in Beijing Aerospace City
Half-marathon held in Beijing Aerospace City
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
