It's Ironic That

we're doing this ½ marathon in a country which practiced the binding of female feet for 1000 years. (It was a form of status stemmed from the belief that a girl could grow up to marry a wealthier man if her feet were miniaturized and some villages considered it a requirement for marriage. 40-50% of Chinese women had bound feet in the 19th century- accomplished by breaking the toes and foot bones, folding them under, and taping them to restrict growth.)