Chinese Marathon Runner Finishes Race Despite Period Blood
In 2024, Chinese marathon runner Meizhen Li completed the Hengshui Lake Marathon despite starting her period just five miles from the finish, with blood running down her legs. To earn points for her team, she needed to finish two championship marathons that season, and withdrawing would have meant running an additional full marathon. Li finished with a time of 2 hours and 35 minutes. Her experience gained international attention, igniting discussions on menstrual stigma in athletics. Artist silvipage illustrated Li with the phrase "In blood we trust, in blood we run." In 2015, Kiran Gandhi ran the London Marathon without menstrual products to prevent chafing, sharing her story in TIME Magazine. Li expressed her gratitude for the support and her fear of online backlash, stating that quitting would have been disappointing.
Key facts
- Meizhen Li got her period 5 miles from the finish line of the Hengshui Lake Marathon in 2024.
- She continued running with blood on her legs and finished in 2 hours 35 minutes.
- Li needed to complete two championship marathons that season for team points.
- Withdrawing would have required running another full marathon.
- Her story went viral and sparked conversations about menstrual stigma.
- Artist silvipage created an illustration of Li.
- In 2015, Kiran Gandhi ran the London Marathon without menstrual products.
- Gandhi wrote about her experience in TIME Magazine.
Entities
Artists
- Meizhen Li
- silvipage
- Kiran Gandhi
Institutions
- TIME Magazine
- China Minutes
- The Female Athlete Project
Locations
- Hengshui Lake
- China
- London
- United Kingdom