Zhang Shuihua Wins the Title! Clocks 17:12 in the 5K—Jokes She’s Furious It’s Slower Than Her Husband, “Back Home, It’s the Washboard for Him”

Zhang Shuihua is back on the race circuit again—but this time, it wasn’t a marathon. Instead, she lined up for a 5,000-meter event and delivered a confident performance, claiming first place in the women’s category.

On January 18, Zhang competed in her first race since resigning and finished fourth among domestic female runners at the Chongqing Marathon, earning RMB 20,000 in prize money. With the Lunar New Year approaching, she didn’t take a long break—yet rather than another marathon, she switched gears and opted for a 5K.

The race was part of a club event held in Changle, Fuzhou. The series reportedly featured four stops last year, and Zhang chose to run the opening leg. For an athlete with her endurance base, 5,000 meters felt relatively manageable—more like an aerobic tempo effort than an all-out grind. She was the first woman to cross the line, stopping the clock at 17 minutes and 12 seconds.

There wasn’t any prize money on offer—and participants even had to pay an entry fee—but Zhang didn’t mind. For her, the focus was on showing up and racing. After finishing, she noted her heart rate was around 150 and joked that the real challenge was the cold weather. Her husband, Wang Ke, quickly came over and helped her bundle up in a down jacket.

Wang also ran the race and posted a time of 16 minutes and 59 seconds. When Zhang heard the result, she was hilariously unimpressed—breathing hard and refusing to accept it. “He’s usually not faster than me,” she protested with a grin, before delivering the punchline: “When we get home, he’s kneeling on the washboard!”