Panda Trail by UTMB turns into ‘enjoyable’ mudfest as China trail running continues to return to normal post-Covid-19 restrictions
- The famous French brand hosts a race in China’s Sichuan province, with conditions better suited to digging than running
- Runners have to provide a negative test within a week of the race, but few other restrictions are imposed
Panda Trail by Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) took place this weekend in Sichuan province, China, in cold and mud-soaked conditions.
The Panda Trail event, held in Qingcheng mountain in Dujiangyan city, was another sign of a return to normal in China. There were 2,700 runners across four distances: 100 miles (160km), 106km, 49km and 26km.
“Now in China, the situation is quite good,” said Daniel Perez Fernandez, a Shenzhen-based Spaniard who came sixth in the 106km event. “We need masks in some places, like public transport, but not everywhere. It’s quite normal.
“For this race, we needed to provide a test within a week. I asked if I could do it eight days out, but they said ‘no’. It is the policy. But apart from that, there is nothing special.”
