【94th Anniversary】NCKU “Mixed Relay Race” Finals Ignite Passion and Team Spirit — Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration, Empathy, and Teamwork Shine on the Track
Edited by Rainee Cheng. Image Credit to NCKU News Center.
The finals of the NCKU “Mixed Relay Race” took place on October 29, with the finalists posing for a group photo before the competition, filled with energy and excitement.
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) held the grand finals of its “Mixed Relay Race” on October 29. After five days of preliminary rounds, the event drew enthusiastic participation from more than 1,600 faculty members and students across 80 teams. In the end, 32 teams (16 respectively from the “Interdisciplinary Group” and the “Freshmen Group”) advanced to the finals. President Shen Meng-Ru (沈孟儒), after personally firing the starting pistol at the opening of the preliminary round, once again attended the finals to cheer on the participants and officially start the race. The atmosphere on the track was electric, filled with cheers and applause as runners sprinted with all their might for their teams and for glory. The event embodied NCKU’s spirit of teamwork, empathy, and youthful energy. The excitement also drew many local community members to the Kuang-Fu Campus track, where nearly 700 spectators gathered to witness the thrilling and heartwarming competition.
President Shen attended the finals in person and fired the starting pistol to kick off the race.
In the evening of October 29, President Shen joined the finals of the “2024 NCKU Sports Week—Mixed Relay Race,” extending his best wishes and encouragement to the finalist teams. Amid enthusiastic cheers from the participants, President Shen made a surprise announcement: every runner who completed the registration for the finals would receive a complimentary voucher for a five-star restaurant. The unexpected bonus instantly sent the crowd into a frenzy, with cheers, applause, and shouts of excitement filling the Kuang-Fu Campus track, igniting the atmosphere with energy and joy. Many students exclaimed, “The president is so cool!” and “This is unbelievable!”
The finalist teams were full of energy and determination, coming well-prepared for the competition. Before the start, many teams organized their own warm-up sessions and motivational chants, showcasing strong team spirit and high morale.
Finalist teams, high-spirited and sincere, were chanting their chants with high morale and team spirit before the race.
Composed of students from 17 departments, the first-year team that ranked first in the preliminary round of the “Freshmen Group” continued to perform impressively in the finals, cutting their finishing time by five seconds to win the championship. The team even improved its finishing time by five seconds in the finals and ultimately claimed the championship title. According to Chu Yi-Mou (朱奕謀) from the Department of Civil Engineering and Huang Kun-Ping (黃坤平) from the Department of Occupational Therapy, the team was formed in just three days. They maintained a regular training schedule of two sessions per week, focusing on physical conditioning and baton-passing coordination. Through repeated trial and adjustment, along with every member’s focus and dedication during the race, they found the keys to success. They recalled with excitement, “We took the lead from the second runner during the preliminaries, which gave our team tremendous confidence.” Huang also shared that the experience not only reflected NCKU’s emphasis on holistic development but also allowed him to meet many like-minded friends. Both expressed heartfelt gratitude for the university’s thoughtful planning and organization, which gave them a sense of honor and excitement akin to that of a large-scale sports event. They enthusiastically suggested increasing the prize money and adding a semifinal round in future competitions to heighten the intensity. “It’s such a precious experience for NCKU students. We’ll definitely join again next year—and invite even more friends to be part of this fun event!”
Each participant stayed fully focused, running for the honor of their team.
One of the interdisciplinary teams, composed of faculty members—Professor Wang Chun-Han（王俊涵）from the Department of Industrial and Information Management, Professor Wang Chun-Hao（王駿濠）from the Institute of Physical Education, Health & Leisure Studies, Professor Tsai Chia-Chi（蔡家齊）from the Department of Electrical Engineering, and Professor Tsai Yaw-Shyan（蔡耀賢）from the Department of Architecture—together with several staff members and students from various colleges, advanced to the finals as the top-ranked team among the “Interdisciplinary Groups.” Although the team —the professors’ team — still showcased remarkable strength and enthusiasm throughout the competition. The participating faculty members highly praised the event organized by the university and the Office of Physical Education, noting that such activities are not only energetic and enjoyable but also help strengthen the bonds between teachers and students.
Team initiator Professor Wang Chun-Han（王俊涵）laughed as he recalled that the biggest challenge in forming the team was finding ten male and ten female members. “We really wanted to join the race!” he said. Eventually, through various channels and even with help from students’ introductions, the team was successfully assembled. The professors shared that the greatest challenge of the “Mixed Relay Race” lies in coordinating the baton-passing rhythm between male and female runners, which truly tests team chemistry and cooperation. Although it was difficult to align everyone’s schedules and members had to practice in smaller groups, the team set a simple but ambitious goal: to aim for first place. Smiling, the professors said, “Running side by side with our students was a rare and rewarding experience,” “It was so much fun—it made us feel 30 years younger running with college students,” “As we get older, regular exercise becomes even more important,” and “It’s wonderful to make new friends through sports. We hope this event helps further strengthen NCKU’s campus sports culture.”
In the final sprint, team members burst into cheers as their runner crossed the finish line.
Another team, which had advanced to the finals in second place in the interdisciplinary group—trailing the faculty-led team by just one second—made a stunning comeback to win the championship. As their final runner sprinted to the finish line, the entire squad erupted in excitement, cheering and hugging in celebration, as the crowd roared with energy. Composed mainly of senior-year students, the team laughed and said, “Our goal was clear—we were aiming for the professors’ team, and we wanted to beat them!” After the preliminary round, they intensified their training and entered the finals with absolute trust in one another. “Winning first place feels amazing,” they said. “And defeating the professors’ team—just feels awesome!”
NCKU’s Office of Physical Education remarked that the “Mixed Relay Race” was not only a campus sports event, but also a celebration of unity that strengthened bonds between students and faculty while fostering interdisciplinary teamwork. The event embodied NCKU’s core spirit of teamwork, empathy, and resilience. During the five days of preliminary rounds, President Shen Meng-Ru（沈孟儒）, Vice President Chen Yu-Nu（陳玉女）, Vice President Chang Shih-Wei（張始偉）, and Vice President Lee Chun-Chang（李俊璋）all attended in person to cheer on the participants and fire the starting pistol, demonstrating the university’s strong commitment to promoting sports and physical wellness. The Office of Physical Education expressed special thanks to the track and field team, baseball team, faculty members, and students who assisted in organizing the event. The organizers also hoped that through this experience, students would find workout partners, enhance their physical fitness, and continue exercising regularly—because, as they emphasized, a healthy body is the foundation of sustainability.
Provider:
NCKU News Center
Date:
2025-11-08
