Marathoner Keeps Running Despite Getting Her Period Mid-Race

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Una publicación compartida por the female athlete project [tfap] (@thefemaleathleteproject)

Women have long been made to feel embarrassed about their menstrual cycle. Even today, period stigma continues to permeate our societies, despite being a natural, monthly occurrence for women and people with uteruses for over 30 years of their lives. Thankfully, Chinese marathon runner Meizhen Li has helped wipe the shame of visible menstruation, when she unexpectedly got her period mid-race. Though it was an unintentional occurrence, Li made a bold statement by putting her athletic performance first instead of pulling out of the race and hiding. She continued to run with blood dripping down her thighs as the crowd watched.

The episode took place back in 2024, when Li was competing in the Hengshui Lake Marathon. The athlete needed to complete two championship marathons that season to earn points for her team. When she was 5 miles from the finish line, Li’s period arrived. But rather than quitting the race to prevent visible stains, the runner powered through, aware that completing the marathon was much more important than getting some period blood on her clothes and legs.

“Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement,” Li wrote on social media. “Honestly, I was afraid that people online would say, ‘Has she gone crazy? Why didn’t she withdraw when this happened?’ But by the time it happened, I’d already passed the 34-kilometre (about 21 miles) mark. It would have been a shame to withdraw from a championship race. If I withdrew, I would have had to run another full marathon. That’s why I was determined to finish, even if my time wasn’t great. Thank you for your concern, I’m okay and nothing serious happened.”

Understandably, Li’s story went viral around the world, with many applauding her decision. “Anything men can do, women can do while we’re bleeding,” reads the most liked TikTok comment on China Minutes’ recount of Li’s story. Her action has even inspired artists like silvipage, who shared an illustration of the athlete with the message, “In blood we trust, in blood we run.”

Li is far from the first marathon runner to deal with the unexpected start of her period on race day. In 2015, Kiran Gandhi decided to run the London Marathon without a pad or a tampon to avoid the risk of chafing or worse, toxic shock from a backup tampon. “To me, it made far more sense to do the race without any foreign objects in my body, take some Midol, and just run,” Gandhi wrote for TIME Magazine. “While I didn’t think this would be such a big deal, as I started to run, I realized it was. I realized that, while I had the freedom to reject my own shame that day, millions of people who menstruate around the world do not because of the stigma still associated with periods.”

Gandhi also stated, “While menstrual practices vary across different cultures, menstrual stigma is the global common thread. The menstrual cycle is the bedrock of the human race. Without it we wouldn’t exist. If we want to make the world a better place, we have to start combatting taboo now—and, in the process, make it easier for women and girls to access their fullest potential. The good news is that this is something we can actually win within our lifetime. The future is female.”

Chinese athlete Meizhen Li unexpectedly got her period during a marathon, but she continued to run with blood dripping down her thighs.

@chinaminutes Back in 2024, Chinese marathon runner Li Meizhen got her period in the middle of a marathon—but it didn’t stop her from finishing. The incident happened during the Hengshui Lake Marathon, where Li unexpectedly got her period around the 34-kilometre mark. Despite blood running down her legs, she continued and crossed the finish line in 2 hours and 35 minutes. After the race, Li explained she was already so close to the finish line that she didn’t want to withdraw. She also needed to complete two championship marathons that season to earn points for her team, meaning dropping out would have meant running another full marathon later. The footage quickly went viral across China, with many calling Li’s determination deeply inspiring. It also sparked wider conversations about breaking the stigma around menstruation in sport. 💭 What do you think?👇🏼 #womenempowerment #womensports #period #marathon #storytime ♬ original sound – China Minutes