Students take 100-km walk in 'rite of passage'

"As long as you put one foot before the other, you will reach the destination," she said. "It is definitely an experience worth remembering. No matter what difficulties I might run into in the future, this experience will motivate me to carry on for a little bit longer so I can get what I want."

For 20-year-old Liu Kang, finishing the walk not only proved he has a strong will and endurance, but also solidified his relationship with his girlfriend. At the end of the race, he publicly expressed his feelings for her. "As we reached the finishing line, a volunteer handed me the microphone and I mustered up the courage to tell her that I love her and want to walk by her side for the rest of our lives," said Liu, who is a junior at the Hunan University of Science and Technology.

They have been together for several months, and Liu said the walk intensified their feelings for each other as they talked extensively over the two days. His girlfriend knows that he is there to support her whenever she needs him, Liu said.

Her knees became swollen due to the long periods of walking, so he carried her on his back for a while and also offered her encouragement. "If we do not try seemingly crazy things when we are young and truly live our lives, we might regret it later on," he said.

While most people walked the distance, Dai Hao ran about 70 km of the course and was the first to reach the finish line. After the event, the 19-year-old from Hunan Normal University said he felt a strong sense of achievement and was pleased his running training had paid off.

"I could not feel my hands due to the cold, and I just kept running. After a while, I found out that there was no one in front of me and I realized that I could finish first," he said.

Dai said he became interested in running about a year ago and joined the university's running club. He said he was not interested in sports, but with the help and advice of club members, he can now run faster and has more stamina.