The launch ceremony for a 1.2-million-kilometer cloud relay run is held at Shandong University's Xinglong Mountain campus on Sept 23. [Photo/sdu.edu.cn]

To celebrate the 120th anniversary of the founding of Shandong University, or SDU – located in Jinan city, capital of East China's Shandong province – a 1.2-million-kilometer "cloud" relay run was launched at the university's Xinglong Mountain campus on Sept 23.
The idea is that teachers, students and alumni from around the world will perform physical runs and use the cloud relay run's special online platform to record onto it their running distances – adding to the combined run of the participants, so that the target is reached.
Wang Junsong, deputy Party secretary of Shandong University, attended the launch ceremony, along with 2,000 teachers and students from SDU.
Wang said that the relay run not only marked the 120th anniversary of the university, but would also take the school's sports to a new level. He urged teachers and students to actively participate in physical exercise, creating an esprit de corps and a broader community spirit through sports.

Wang Junsong turns on a colored torch pad marking the official launch of the cloud relay run activity. [Photo/sdu.edu.cn]

"This is a very exciting activity which shows the strengths of Shandong University. I feel very happy to participate with the alumni," said Zhang Xuesong, a student from the university's School of Energy and Power Engineering.
The activity also received support from Olympic gold medalists including women's javelin champion Liu Shiying, women's track cycling team sprint champion Zhong Tianshi, and women's windsurfing champion Lu Yunxiu.

Olympic champions send their best wishes for the 120th anniversary of the founding of Shandong University. [Photo/sdu.edu.cn]

Participants Sign their names before the relay run.[Photo/WeChat account: sdu-1901]

The cloud relay run is one of a series of high-profile activities to celebrate SDU's 120th anniversary.
All teachers, students and alumni from around the world are being invited to participate in the event – to jointly achieve the total distance of 1.2 million km on its platform before the university's anniversary on Oct 15.

Nearly 1,000 SDUers join the relay run after the ceremony.[Photo/New Media Studio of SDU]

Seven students take to the stage to perform, during the launch ceremony for the relay run. [Photo/WeChat account: sdu-1901]