Zhang Shuihua, a former nurse, earned about $700,000 in ten months by running marathons. Her story shows how a passion can become a high‑earning career.

On Oct. 18, Zhang won the Xi’an Marathon with a personal best of 2 hours 29 minutes 7 seconds. The victory gave her about $15,000 in prize money and record‑breaking bonuses. She also placed second at the Nanjing Beian Marathon and won the Liuzhou Marathon, receiving $4,500 cash and a $15,000 car.

Zhang announced her resignation on Jan. 2 2026 after the hospital gave her a warning for signing commercial contracts without permission. Earlier in 2026 she dealt with shift‑swap disputes and a bone fracture. Despite these problems, she kept training and racing.

In the next ten months she earned roughly $700,000 before tax from prize money, appearance fees, endorsements and social‑media revenue. She signed deals with three eyewear brands, hosted 34 livestreams, and her followers grew from 90,000 to over 180,000 in three months.