Wang Runxi, 11, has taken part in more than 20 marathons with his father, Wang Chao, since May 2014. In his most recent marathon in Queenstown, New Zealand, Wang Runxi completed the whole marathon within six and a half hours.

The 11-year-old is confident that he has the coolest father among all his classmates. The elder Wang frequently excuses his son from school so that they can participate in marathons all over the world. This time, Wang Runxi was forced to abandon all his textbooks and school supplies in Queenstown after surviving the 7.5-magnitude earthquake.

Wang Chao insists that “common sense is more important than knowledge.” He prefers a free style for his son’s education, discouraging the boy from attending extracurricular classes and even doing his homework.

“Why can’t we give our son a happy childhood?” mused Wang Chao.

However, this approach to education has sparked debate. Hu Guangwei, deputy dean of the provincial social science institute, argued that students should consider learning to be their main duty in life. A lack of knowledge learned in primary school can have a negative impact on future development. Wang Runxi’s head teacher has also expressed concern about his education.

On the other hand, Yang Lin, deputy director of Chengdu’s Education Academy, expressed admiration after learning that Wang Ruixin has successfully completed so many marathons.

“It’s better to travel 10,000 miles than to read 10,000 books,” Yang recited.