Becker remembered how, 10 years ago when he participated in the Mt. Gaoligong ultra for the first time, a young local man approached him and said: "Seventy-five years ago, your father came here to help liberate our country. Now you are here to help save our mountain."

"That was when I first realized how deeply people here still remember the Americans," he recalled.

The remark referred to the race's environmental mission — to raise awareness about the protection of the Gaoligong Mountain nature reserve and promote sustainable development.

"That really struck home," Becker said.

"It made me realize that this connection isn't just historical, it's continuing in a different way."

Though now in his eighth decade, Becker's passion and resilience drives him to continue competing in long-distance running. Although he missed the cutoff for this year's Mt. Gaoligong Ultra race and had to withdraw, Becker described it as a beautiful experience and said he was glad of the chance to return and run again.

Beyond personal experience, Becker sees broader meaning in events like the Gaoligong ultra trail. Drawing a comparison with last month's Winter Olympics, he talked of the unifying power of sports.

"If you watched the Olympics, you could see in real time how athletes from different countries bonded together," he said.

"That spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, and this race is like a smaller version of that."

Even amid competition, Becker emphasized the importance of solidarity: "We all want to win, of course. But there's also mutual respect and support as fellow athletes."

It is a spirit he believes the world needs more of.

"That feeling," he said, "is something we should be able to put in a bottle and give to everyone."