2 . For many runners, a marathon can often be a challenge—but sometimes what gets a runner through the tough 26.2 miles is looking out into the crowd and seeing his or her loved one holding up a sign and shouting words of encouragement. For one mom, though, her loved one was a bit more hands-on.

While running the REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon in Salt Lake City, Courtney Rich, a self-taught baker and mother of two, was beginning to run out of energy just yards from the end when she was suddenly joined by her 10-year-old daughter, Avery.

The touching moment, caught on video and posted on social media, shows Avery running to her mother’s side to support her as she approached the end of the race. Rich’s face lit up when Avery joined her and helped her cross the finish line.

Rich later said in the video’s caption that being joined by her daughter to finish the race was “a moment I hope neither of us ever forget”. Rich said that her daughter could tell she was struggling after a phone call near the end of the race. “She knew I had struggled the last few miles,” Rich said. “She saw tears in my eyes when I called on mile 24.”

In the video, Rich’s facial expression changes from tiredness to a smile after seeing her daughter emerge from the crowd to join her. Then, Rich and her daughter ran hand-in-hand to the finish line. “Nothing could have prepared me for the moment my 10-year-old daughter would jump out of the crowd and run with me to the finish line,” she said. When the race was done, the two hugged each other at the finish line. The video ends with a final caption, “And then she just held me. She held me.”

In the past, the REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon has had other memorable moments of mothers caring for their children, but perhaps not as hands-on as this one.

6 . Enter Our Short Story Competition 2024

Welcome to our Short Story Competition 2024 to show the world your storytelling talents! Note that there are some changes to last year’s competition rules. If you have any questions or concerns, ask us before submitting your story.

Please ensure that your submissions are completely new and not previously published. Your story must have uplifting elements and be limited between 250 and 300 words in length.

Please include your name, preferred email address or postal address for possible awards in the body of the email with the story attached. Don’t put your personal information anywhere in your story.

There are three categories—one for adults and two categories for schools: one for children aged 12-18 and one for children under 12.

In the adults category, the winner will receive £1, 000 and the runner-up will receive £250.

In the children aged 12-18 category, the winner will receive a £200 book voucher (代金券) or a branded tablet and a £100 book voucher, and the runner-up will receive a £100 book voucher.

In the children under 12 category, the winner will receive a £100 of book voucher or a branded tablet and a £100 book voucher, and the runner-up will receive a £50 book voucher.

Please submit your stories by June 31, 2024 either online or by posting offline.

The judge team consisting of our editors and some professional writers will pick a shortlist (入围名单) of entries, and the three best stories in each category will be posted online at on our website on August 1, 2024.

You can vote for your favourite, and the one with the most votes will win the top prize. Voting will close on November 30, 2024 and the winning entries will be published on December 31, 2024.