Jogging 4000 kilometres from Harbin to Shenzhen - you can't do that alone! But with the Alumni project "We Run The World", you can run virtually across China with other young people interested in the country. eWxciting stage highlights await along the way - podcasts, live talks with China experts, video contributions, quizzes, etc. on the country, its people and culture and more.

Accoording to the motto "Running connects", alumni of the China exchange programme, funded by Stiftung Mercator, have launched the project "We Run The World" supported by the Mercator Alumni Fund. Our alumni Tilman, Lea, Johannes, Gülperi, Sophie and Maya have developed an app and a virtual program that allow you to experience China interactively and on foot from home.


This is the idea

The current situation makes it difficult to travel to China. But that should not be a reason to not get to know the country better. With the help of an app, you and other participants will walk a virtual route from Harbin to Shenzhen within a month and learn all kinds of new things about the People's Republic of China during your journey. Along the route, self-produced podcasts, live talks by experts, video reports, etc. on the country, its people and culture will be scattered as stage highlights. In addition, there is the opportunity to prove your knowledge in challenges and thus increase the kilometres run.


How it works

  1. Go for a run + track: Whether you go for a walk, a jog or a bike ride - track the route with an app of your choice.
  2. Enter your distance: Enter the kilometres you have run in the We-Run-The-World app and upload a screenshot.
  3. Make metres together: All content will be unlocked for everyone at each station.


Fancy a run?

Then become part of the running challenge! Here you can find all further information, register and be the first to know when the journey begins. If you have any questions, please contact the project team at wrtw2022@outlook.com.

AND - don't forget to follow the project on Instagram: weruntheworld_2022.

PLEASE NOTE: The activity and app is available in German only.



Never heard of projects supported by the Mercator Alumni Fund? With the Mercator Alumni Fund, alumni of Stiftung Mercator can apply for a project grant of up to 5,000.00 euros to plan and implement project ideas or events that enrich the alumni community life. The current call for applications runs until 15.07.2022. You can find all the information here. We look forward to your idea!