The 2019 National Mountain Hiking Fitness Trail League and National Mass Mountain Hiking Fitness Conference (Henan · Xin County Station) kicked off passionately on the 3rd, with nearly 6,000 athletes and fitness enthusiasts from across the country getting close to nature while running, experiencing the unique charm of the "Red City in the Mountains" and the healthy Xin County.
The event was jointly organized by the Chinese Mountaineering Association, the Henan Provincial Sports Bureau, and the People's Government of Xinyang City, and hosted by the Xinyang Municipal Education and Sports Bureau and the People's Government of Xin County. At 9:10 am, the race officially started with the firing of the starting gun. Nearly 6,000 participants in five categories—long and short distance speed groups, team relay group, family parent-child group, and hiking fitness group—crossed the starting line one after another, marking the beginning of the competition.
The main venue, Ruanwan, is located at the foot of the picturesque Jinlan Mountain National Forest Park, surrounded by deep forests and beautiful waters, with stunning natural scenery. The green mountains, blue rivers and lakes, and simple local customs complement each other, making it the "Sports Town" among Xin County’s “Nine Towns and Eighteen Bays.” Participants set off from the trail entrance at the Ruanwan main venue and ran joyfully along the winding forest paths.
After nearly three hours of fierce competition, Zhao Guohu won the men's championship in the long-distance (22.7 km) speed category with a time of 1 hour, 40 minutes, 15.0 seconds, while the women's champion was Jian Muhua with a time of 2 hours, 04 minutes, 10.9 seconds. The short-distance (12.8 km) speed category champions were Zhu Jijia for men and Wu Xiaoling for women, with times of 1 hour, 03 minutes, 27.1 seconds and 1 hour, 30 minutes, 38.4 seconds respectively. The team relay championship was claimed by the Guizhou Century Runners Team.
Jian Muhua, the women’s champion in the long-distance (22.7 km) speed category, said that before coming to Xin County, she had set a goal for herself to finish in the top eight. Winning first place was quite unexpected. Of course, she was also very happy. Jian Muhua, from Xi’an Jiaotong University, has been practicing middle and long-distance running for four or five years and has participated in many competitions, but this was her first time running on a mountain hiking trail. “Compared to running on roads or tracks, mountain trails are less hard on the feet, and running feels very comfortable. Also, the mountain air is fresh, and breathing feels especially easy. Moreover, every section of the mountain trail is different, which adds a lot of novelty to the run. I will definitely keep trying in the future!” she said.
It is understood that this year marks the fourth consecutive year that Xin County has hosted a leg of the National Mountain Hiking Fitness Trail League. Leveraging its excellent ecological environment, Xin County is fully committed to creating a sports tourism route that integrates leisure vacation, sports experience, health and wellness, and competitive spectating. The combination of tourism and sports is becoming increasingly popular among local residents.
“We participated last year too!” said Sister Li, who joined the hiking fitness group competition with her friends and is usually fond of exercising. As a local resident, she said she felt particularly proud that her hometown could host such a large-scale competition. “Xin County has several trails, and their construction has given people more options for daily exercise and fitness. Through the competitions, friends from all over the country get to know Xin County, understand it, and promote it—truly achieving multiple benefits at once.” (End)