Sky’s the limit for China as it bursts onto the world trail-running scene
With 225 national parks, diverse topography and strong roots in world-class adventure races, the Yading Skyrun puts the Middle Kingdom on the map
For years, scrawny runners, clad in little more than running vests and shorts, have gathered at the base of mountains around the world to challenge themselves in the Skyrunner World Series. Last month, the first race of the 2016 season was no different – except that it was held in China.
The 29-kilometre Yading Skyrun, in Sichuan’s mountainous Daocheng, is the first race in mainland China to be included in the International Skyrunning Federation’s world series.
“It seems to me like China just, you know, hopped on the map for trail running,” said world-ranked number two Megan Kimmel, of the US. “The race standard and organisation was completely on par with the top races in the world.
“I got a dose of how big and beautiful China is and I would love to experience more of it.”
Raced over a course rising to 4,664 metres amidst snow-capped peaks, Nepalese dark horse Bhim Gurung pipped world-ranked number one Tadei Pivk by less than two minutes for podium glory.
The reality of China’s emergence in trail running is like an enthusiastic dive-bomb into an empty swimming pool.
“It’s a running psychosis,” says Pavel Toropov, an aspiring professional runner who moved to China in 2009 to study Chinese and to run.
