Arxan hosts international trail running

(chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2016-09-18

The 2016 “Mineral Spring Cup”-Arxan International Mountain Trail Running Race concluded in Arxan, a city of Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Sept 16.

From Sept 15 to 16, over 600 professional trail runners and amateur enthusiasts took part in the race.

The trail running was jointly sponsored by the Arxan government and Sanfo Outdoor Sports Company, and it was also recognized by the International Trail Running Association (ITRA), thus every participant who finished the race could win corresponding points.

The trail race was divided into four levels, a 4.2-kilometer race, a 21-kilometer race, a 50-kilometer race and a 100-kilometer race. During the 100km race, Bai Bin from Beijing won the men’s race and Zhang Shuxia from Hebei province won the women’s race.

Two runners pose at the finishing line of the 2016 “Mineral Spring Cup”-Arxan International Mountain Trail Running Race held in Arxan, Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Sept 16. [Photo/sina.com]

The race started at the central plaza in Arxan, and the route covered many places of interest along with diverse terrains, such as wetlands, glaciers, grasslands, rocky hills and dense forests.

The scenery of Arxan was world-class, and the route designed by the organizers was rare to experience, according to Wang Zhiqiao, a 100-kilometer-race participant from Tangshan, Hebei province.

“Sanfo has hosted outdoor sports events under the principle of being ‘professional and concentrated’ for many years, and this race focuses not only on challenging runners physical limits but also letting the contestants experience the natural landscape along the route in Arxan,” according to the manager of the Sanfo Outdoor Sports Company.

A runner from Guizhou praised the event organizers for the way they treated participants, including handing out free coffee, sports uniform, instant noodles, even some local specialties like hot mutton soup.