Over 1,000 students from 82 universities and colleges in Beijing participated in a 2,008-m run on Sunday to promote fitness and a favorable campus atmosphere for the upcoming Olympic Games.

  Beijing students running

The students promised to spend 10 weeks in the flag-relay run along eight routes, which will have an estimated 200,000 participants.

More than 100,000 students in China's capital have taken part in the fitness campaign since November 2007.

They ran, relayed a torch, and did physical exercises, with an aim at preparing themselves for the Olympics this August.

  Liu Jian, secretary of the Beijing Municipal Youth Organization, gives a signal to long-distance runners.  

The route of the flag relay rerunning campaign  

The flag-awarding ceremony

(BOCOG March 11, 2008)