Zhang Shuihua is a 34-year-old registered nurse employed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University in southeastern China. She became widely known domestically as “China’s fastest female nurse” after a series of high-profile marathon performances, especially at the 2025 Harbin Marathon, where she finished first among Chinese female competitors with a time of 2 hours, 35 minutes, and 27 seconds. Her results garnered attention beyond athletic circles due to her professional role as a hospital nurse.
Zhang has competed in numerous long-distance running events, often within weeks of each other. In late 2025 she participated in at least five marathons within roughly 50 days, including:
Harbin Marathon (Aug 31, 2025) – Domestic women’s winner with a personal best of 2:35:27.
Shenzhen Marathon (Dec 7, 2025) – Third place in the domestic women’s category and sixth overall among women with a time of 2:35:52.
Other races such as East Ying Marathon, Yichang Marathon, Changzhou Marathon and participation in multiple competitions within a short timeframe, collectively earning over RMB 220,000 (tax-before) in prize money.
In early 2026, she continued this pattern, winning first place at the East Extreme Fuyuan New Year Marathon and setting a race record with a time of 2:53:52, further underlining her athletic commitment.
Zhang’s marathon performances were accompanied by public discussion about how she balanced her nursing duties and training/competition schedule. After her Harbin Marathon win, she was quoted expressing a wish for her leadership to support shift changes on weekends to allow her participation in competitions, rather than requiring formal leave. This comment, shared in a post-race interview, triggered controversy online about the responsibilities of healthcare workers and workplace flexibility.
In December 2025, the hospital issued an internal disciplinary notice, finding that Zhang had accepted paid endorsement work with a sportswear brand without prior approval and had requested leave under false pretences to attend some marathon events. The disciplinary actions included a formal warning valid for six months and exclusion from annual performance evaluation and related recognition for 2025.
Hospital administrators indicated that such measures stemmed from violations of internal rules that require prior authorization for external paid work and proper justification for scheduling changes.
Around January 2, 2026, Zhang Shuihua publicly announced her decision to resign from her position at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. In her announcement, she acknowledged the hospital’s support and her colleagues’ contributions during her tenure, expressing gratitude as she moved forward.
While fans and observers have discussed the broader implications of workplace scheduling and personal pursuits, hospital officials have consistently stated that they encourage staff to pursue hobbies as long as such activities do not interfere with work responsibilities.
In Zhang’s case, her commitment to marathons, frequent travel for competitions, and engagement in endorsement activities became focal points during hospital scheduling reviews and contributed to formal disciplinary outcomes.
(Rh)
