The 2nd Belt and Road China Siming Mountain 100km Mountain Outdoor Sports Challenge 2019 kicks off in Ningbo’s Yuyao ...

The 2nd "Belt and Road" China Siming Mountain 100km Mountain Outdoor Sports Challenge, also known as the "Yuyong Branch of Ningbo Bank Cup", kicked off on November 9th at Siming Mountain National Forest Park in Yuyao, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.

This event was jointly organized by the Chinese Mountaineering Association, the Ningbo Municipal Sports Bureau, and the Yuyao Municipal People's Government. It was hosted by the Yuyao Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports, and Beijing Kusai Tongce Sports Culture Communication Co., Ltd., with co-organization by the Ningbo Outdoor Sports Association, Yuyao Sports Federation, Yuyao Sports Management Service Center, and Yuyao Outdoor Sports Association. The race included men’s and women’s categories for 102km, 56km, a full mountain climb of 22km, and a half mountain climb of 14km. Over 1,500 athletes from 12 countries and regions participated in the Siming Mountain 100km Mountain Outdoor Sports Challenge. The challenging course of Siming Mountain National Forest Park attracted a large number of elite international athletes.

The total prize money for the event was 300,000 RMB. All race categories started from Yutu Island within Siming Mountain National Forest Park, with the finish line at Hengkantou Village. The 102km category featured an elevation gain of 5,514 meters and descent of 5,480 meters, with a cutoff time of 24 hours. The 56km category had a total elevation gain of 2,635 meters and descent of 2,599 meters, with a cutoff time of 13 hours.

In the end, Li Bo from Chongqing won the men’s 56km category, while Yang Hua from Guizhou claimed the women’s title. In the 102km category, Liang Jing from Anhui took the men’s crown with a time of 10 hours, 34 minutes and 51 seconds, and Xiang Fuzhao from Guizhou won the women’s race with a time of 12 hours, 41 minutes and 25 seconds.

This was the second time Yuyao has hosted a 100km mountain outdoor sports challenge. Currently, Yuyao is accelerating the integrated development of sports, culture, and tourism. With openness and innovation as the main thread and mutual benefit as the goal, it serves as the core carrier of Ningbo’s Belt and Road comprehensive experimental zone. The focus is on port connectivity, investment and trade facilitation, industrial and technological cooperation, financial and insurance services, and cultural exchanges, actively building a Belt and Road port logistics center, a pioneering area for investment and trade facilitation, a leading zone for industrial and technological cooperation, a demonstration area for financial and insurance services, and a gateway for cultural exchanges. Meanwhile, the development of the Siming Mountain Provincial-level Tourism Resort is being accelerated, aiming to fully leverage Yuyao’s unique cultural and natural resources. The city is committed to developing the potential of the Siming Mountain region for sports and leisure sports industries. By fostering “one county (city), one flagship event” as an innovative approach, Yuyao is focusing on creating a number of high-quality “sports + tourism + culture” branded events that bear the Yuyao imprint and hold sustainable socioeconomic value. These efforts not only respond to the national health strategy and promote mass fitness, but also actively develop new economic growth points and drive regional economic development. Notably, well-known events enrich the Yuyao story, enhance the city’s visibility, and strengthen civic pride and cohesion. Yuyao has introduced a solid, effective, and well-prioritized set of measures, along with a diverse range of activities.

Siming Mountain National Forest Park, where the event was held, covers a total area of 6,665 hectares, primarily located in Siming Mountain Town, Yuyao. Known as the “Second Lushan Mountain” in Zhejiang, Siming Mountain boasts dense forests, green mountains, clear waters, and a rich diversity of wildlife, making it an ecologically superior area often referred to as a natural “oxygen bar”. Siming Mountain was once one of the revolutionary bases and one of China’s seven major guerrilla zones in the south, serving as a primary activity area for the Eastern Zhejiang Column. Yuyao is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province, located on the Ningbo-Shaoxing Plain in China’s Zhejiang Province, on the southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta. It is the birthplace of the Yaojiang School and the hometown of notable figures such as Wang Yangming, Yu Shinan, Huang Zongxi, Jiang Menglin, Yu Qiuyu, and Shen Junshan. The famous Hemudu Site is also located in Yuyao.

The 100km trail race is a professional event vigorously developed by the Chinese Mountaineering Association in recent years. Despite its long distance and challenging route, its unique experience has attracted many elite athletes. CHINA100 is also one of the premium events among numerous 100km trail races.