The 2019 "Mongolian Horse Cup" Qiansen Aohan 100 International Ultra Trail Race Concluded Successfully
The Aohan 100 concluded perfectly
Ms. Ye Xiuli, Deputy Head of Aohan Banner People's Government
Mr. Zhang Hongmin, Director of Aohan Banner Culture and Sports Bureau
Along with Mr. Song Lishan, Chairman of Qiansen Group, fired the starting gun
The 2019 "Mongolian Horse Cup" Qiansen Aohan 100 International Ultra Trail Race (abbreviated as "Aohan 100") was successfully held on June 15 in Sijiazi Town, Aohan Banner, Chifeng City. The Aohan 100 has received official certification from ITRA (International Trail Running Association) and has been successfully selected as a qualifier for the UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc), making it the only ITRA and UTMB points race in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region this year.
As a newly established trail running event in China, the Aohan 100, in its first year, embraced the open concept of "trail running for all" with no entry barriers. Nearly 400 participants competed across the 30KM, 50KM, and 100KM categories, including international runners from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, and Japan.
The Aohan 100 was organized by the Sports Bureau of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the People's Government of Chifeng City, hosted by the Sports Bureau of Chifeng City and the People's Government of Aohan Banner, Chifeng City, and co-organized by the Sijiazi Town Government, Jinchanggouliang Town Government, and Xinhuai Town Government of Aohan Banner. It was operated by the Aohan Banner Culture, Tourism, and Sports Bureau and Beijing Qiansen Sports Culture Investment Development Co., Ltd.
Four elite athletes made a joint appearance
This year’s Aohan 100 invited four renowned domestic trail running elites—“Plateau Tank” Wang Xiaolin, “Earth’s Toughest Pathfinder” Zhang Zhenlong, “Record Breaker” Lin Xiao, and “Middle-to-Long Distance Terminator” Shi Shengli.
Yang Zhihui sharing the joy of victory with his son at the finish line
After fierce competition, 3111-numbered athlete Yang Zhihui won the men’s 30KM championship with a time of 03:17:46, while the women’s title was claimed by W3128-numbered Sun Xiuyan with a time of 04:10:47.
In the 50KM category, 9527-numbered Shi Shengli dominated the field, finishing well ahead of his competitors to claim an easy “victory” with a time of 04:24:01, securing the men’s championship. In the women’s division, W5057-numbered Li Yuhong took first place with a time of 07:37:52.
Elite athletes sprinting at the finish
In the longest race of the event, the 100KM men’s category, a star-studded lineup of three elite athletes competed fiercely. From the start, 6666-numbered Zhang Zhenlong took an early lead and maintained it all the way to the finish, ultimately winning the championship with an outstanding time of 11:46:21. 0123-numbered Lin Xiao secured second place with 13:51:48, and 0080-numbered Wang Xiaolin took third with 15:58:33. The women’s champion was W1071-numbered Li Hongxia, who finished in 18:15:57.
The course received praise from athletes, showcasing a new face of Aohan
Shi Shengli during the race
“Running the course, I felt the initial climbs were quite steep, with two or three small hills, but the overall difficulty was moderate, making it very suitable for amateur trail runners.” Elite athlete Shi Shengli, who was trying the Aohan 100 for the first time, shared his experience enthusiastically after a brief rest, saying, “Especially the route markings—organizers did an excellent job. There was a signboard seemingly every five meters, so runners rarely went off course. Many major races I’ve joined couldn’t even achieve that.”
Zhang Zhenlong during the race
Zhang Zhenlong being interviewed by media
The 100KM veteran Zhang Zhenlong also shared his first impressions of the course: “Before the race, I thought the climbs weren’t high and it would be relatively easy, but clearly I underestimated it. The difficulty increased later, and the terrain got more complex—it felt even harder than the HK100. My time was slightly slower than expected. Also, what impressed me most was the atmosphere—this level of community support is the first I’ve seen in a domestic race. The event philosophy is also fantastic.”
He added, “Aohan’s landscape is very well preserved. Along the way, I saw lots of wildlife—pheasants, rabbits, cows—and I even encountered an owl and some adorable deer. As for the cultural side, this was the most community-involved trail race I’ve ever taken part in. Every village I passed and all the locals I met were incredibly welcoming. They cheered for me, and many kids aged four or five even ran alongside me for a few hundred meters to encourage me.”
Lin Xiao during the race
The second-place finisher in the 100KM, elite athlete Lin Xiao, joked while refueling: “I really liked the Aohan 100 food, especially the beer. Looks like I’ll have to compete with Ba Ling for the beer at future races.” Having already won 7 championships and 3 runner-up titles in 11 races this year, he still “complained bitterly” about the latter part of the course: “Who says this is an entry-level course? I’d fight them over it. Overall, I think CP8 to CP9 was the toughest—every step felt like jumping off a cliff. It was probably the most emotionally rollercoaster race for me.”
Wang Xiaolin during the race
Meanwhile, all eyes were on “Plateau Tank” Wang Xiaolin as he approached the finish. Organizers had already opened beer at the finish line, eagerly awaiting his arrival. Amid cheers and applause, Wang Xiaolin crossed the line. “The terrain had a strong Inner Mongolian character—rolling hills with climbs nearly 4,000 meters high, quite challenging.”
Wang Xiaolin celebrating at the finish line with a drink
Beyond his firsthand experience of the course, Wang Xiaolin also had an unexpected highlight during his trip to Aohan: “Besides my favorite beer, what really won me over this time was the millet porridge—especially when temperatures dropped sharply. It gave me the energy to keep going. Aohan millet truly lives up to its reputation!”
The Aohan 100 racecourse is picturesque.
Regarding the racecourse highly praised by elites, Mr. Zhang Hongmin, Director of the Aohan Banner Culture and Sports Bureau, also shared its background with us: "Previously, professional cyclocross and BMX racing events held in Aohan received positive feedback, boosting our confidence in using sports to drive development. Last winter, on the basis of ensuring logistical support, the Culture and Sports Bureau sincerely invited industry insiders and the chairman of Qiansen Group to survey the route. The Aohan 100 racecourse you see now was completed after more than half a year and dozens of days and nights of field surveys, measurements, and route planning by the behind-the-scenes team."
At the same time, Director Zhang further spoke about the beautiful scenery of Aohan showcased by the racecourse, "In the past, Aohan’s ecological environment was not optimistic. After decades of joint efforts by the people of Aohan, a large number of trees were planted artificially, successfully establishing Aohan Banner as a 'Green City.' Through our competition, the achievements of Aohan Banner’s ecological construction are now better presented to the people across the nation."
Using the race as a medium to boost Aohan’s “sports+” initiatives
Sports events have become a cultural symbol and urban hallmark. Creating new forms and models of “sports+,” promoting deep industrial integration, carefully crafting branded events, and nurturing the entire sports industry chain are important measures for Aohan Banner—the host city of Aohan 100—to cultivate the sports industry as a new growth pole for economic development.
A whole box full of replenishment beef jerky
Authentic grassland song and dance performances
Aohan 100 is committed to providing runners with top-notch race services. In addition to the exciting and intense competition, distinctive local Aohan performances, whole roasted lamb activities, and comprehensive, thoughtful replenishment food have also received support and praise from the runners.
The Aohan 100 finisher’s medal
The custom Aohan 100 trophy
The Aohan 100 jade medallion
In addition, Aohan 100 closely integrates local culture with the event. All finishers will receive double servings of “Aohan Millet,” and the champions of each category will be gifted an Aohan jade pig-dragon, while the second and third place winners will receive an Aohan jade medallion. The city’s branding as the “Hometown of World Millet,” the “Birthplace of Eight Thousand Years of Dragon Culture,” and the “Source of Chinese Jade Culture,” along with Aohan’s culture, will spread both domestically and internationally as the event’s influence grows.
Green, humanistic, and all-inclusive cross-country events to build a city of sports and health
Aohan Banner’s ecological construction enjoys a prestigious reputation and has been awarded the United Nations Environment Programme’s “Global 500” honor for environmental excellence, often referred to as “Green Aohan.” The Aohan 100 racecourse is entirely natural, with no artificial paving. Runners’ footprints span fields, hills, cliffs, valleys, forests, and villages. They witness the sunrise at dawn and marvel at the sunset in the evening. Vast mountain ranges stretch out, and boundless dark wilderness awaits. Aohan 100 presents runners with one of the most captivating racecourses.
Moreover, the Aohan 100 racecourse incorporates the long history and profound cultural heritage of Aohan Banner. It passes by historical sites featuring the characteristics of the Lower Xiajiadian Culture, blending culture with natural beauty and allowing participants to touch ancient times and sense history. Aohan Banner holds some of the earliest cultural traces of Chinese civilization and is also known as the “Important Birthplace of Five Thousand Years of Chinese Civilization and Ancestor Worship.” Runners enjoy a unique experience exploring history and immersing themselves in natural wildness in the “Place Where the Sun of Civilization Rises.”
Aohan 100 aims to showcase Aohan’s cultural characteristics and highlight the city’s charm through the event. By leveraging the “attention-grabbing and traffic-guiding” role of sports events, it promotes the integrated development of Aohan’s sports industry and establishes Aohan’s international image as a “City of Health and Vitality.”
In addition to Aohan 100, this year Aohan and Qiansen will also jointly host the UCI BMX Racing Olympic Qualifier and the UCI Cyclocross Professional Level 1 Race on August 17–18 and September 1. At the Aohan BMX International Race Track, Chinese athletes and Asian champions Lu Yan and Zhang Yaru will compete for China’s qualification for the Tokyo Olympics. A host of world-class athletes will gather in Aohan to compete. Stay tuned!