Official Release | 2019China Mountain Marathon Series·Guangyuan Station-“ICBC Cup”Dashaowu International Mountain Marathon Successfully Held
On May 19, the 2019 China Mountain Marathon Series - Guangyuan Station — Dashaowu International Mountain Marathon, jointly organized by the Chinese Mountaineering Association, Sichuan Provincial Sports Bureau, and Guangyuan Municipal People's Government, and hosted by Guangyuan Municipal Sports Bureau, Jiange County People's Government, Zhaohua District People's Government, and Guangyuan Cultural Tourism Group, with exclusive operation by Beijing Nantianxing Sports Industry Development Co., Ltd., execution by Guangyuan Dashaowu Sports Industry Development Co., Ltd., and media promotion by Paonar Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., commenced at Jianmenguan.
Opening Ceremony
The event featured three categories: the 42km individual mountain marathon, 21km individual mountain marathon, and 10km mass fitness race, covering six groups in total. It attracted over 3,000 mountain marathon enthusiasts from 13 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Malaysia, as well as across China, all gathering along the ancient Shu Roads to share in this grand sports event.
Leaders' Speeches
At 8:30 AM, the race was grandly inaugurated at the Jianmenguan Tourist Center. Leaders and guests who led the starting ceremony included Wang Yongfeng, Deputy Director of the Mountaineering Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and Vice President of the Chinese Mountaineering Association; Xu Qingyuan, Head of the Mass Sports Division of the Sichuan Provincial Sports Bureau; Olympic champion "Oriental Deer" Wang Junxia; Olympic champion Zhang Shan; Liu Suying, Director of Guangyuan Municipal Sports Bureau; Li Sai, Standing Committee Member of Jiange County Party Committee and Deputy County Magistrate; Zhu Yongguo, Standing Committee Member of Zhaohua District Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission; Ying Chenghua, Deputy Branch Manager of ICBC Guangyuan Branch; and Peng Shiyang, Chairman of Guangyuan Cultural Tourism Group.
Leaders Fire the Starting Gun
Honorary President of the Chinese Olympic Committee Liu Peng
Vice Governor of Sichuan Provincial Government Yang Xingping
Secretary of the CPC Guangyuan Municipal Committee Wang Fei
At 9:00 AM, Liu Peng, Honorary President of the Chinese Olympic Committee; Yang Xingping, Vice Governor of Sichuan Provincial Government; Zhang Yudong, Vice Chairman of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; Song Ming, Deputy Director of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism; Yang Limin, Deputy Director of the Sichuan Provincial Sports Bureau; Wang Fei, Secretary of the CPC Guangyuan Municipal Committee; Zou Zijing, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Guangyuan Municipal Committee and Mayor of Guangyuan Municipal Government; Deng Guangzhi, Director of the Guangyuan Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee; Yang Kai, Chairman of the Guangyuan Municipal CPPCC; and Guo Zihui, General Manager of Beijing Nantianxing Sports Industry Development Co., Ltd., jointly fired the starting gun for the race. Finally, Liu Peng, Honorary President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, declared the 2019 China Mountain Marathon Series - Guangyuan Station - “ICBC Cup” Dashaowu International Mountain Marathon officially open. Over 3,000 athletes set off toward the challenging ancient Shu Roads, paying tribute to the Shu Mountains, reminiscing the Shu Roads, and enjoying the beauty of the Shu Waters during their run.
Leaders Lead the Run
Leaders Lead the Run
Runners Start the Race
Runners Start the Race
The starting point of the race was at the Jianmenguan Tourist Center, with the finish line at the Zhaohua Ancient City Tourist Reception Center. The course passed through scenic spots including the Jianmenguan Scenic Area, Qianyun Ancient Shu Road, Dachaotown, and Niutoushan, ultimately reaching Zhaohua Ancient City. The 42km individual race featured an elevation gain of over 1,400m, while the 21km individual race had an elevation gain of over 700m, both offering great challenges that vividly mirrored the difficulty described by Li Bai: “The road to Shu is harder than climbing to the blue sky.”
Ancient City Meets Marathon
Looking back, the Qin Pass seems far away; taking a step, you realize the Shu Road is hard indeed.
Pine and cypress trees shade the Songning Bridge, creating an ancient and atmospheric scene.
In the end, Guan Yousheng from Guizhou Province won the men's championship in the 42km individual race with a time of 2:38:27; Luo Tao from Guizhou Province and Yin Shunjin from Qinghai Province took the second and third places, respectively.
Zheng Wenrong from Yunnan Province claimed the women's championship in the 42km individual race with a time of 3:27:37; Zhu Bingying from Henan Province and Yang Guangmei from Guizhou Province secured the second and third places, respectively.
Award Ceremony
Edea Feyissa Begna from Ethiopia won the men's championship in the 21km individual race with a time of 1:21:25; Qi Chao Hai from Sichuan Province and Zhu Jiali from Guizhou Province earned the second and third places, respectively.
Zhou Lili from Guizhou Province won the women's championship in the 21KM individual race with a time of 1:43:35; Xia Wei from Sichuan Province and Mo Xiaoyan from Hubei Province took the women's runner-up and third place, respectively.
Scenery of Jianmenguan
Jianmenguan is a national 5A-level tourist attraction, located at the fault-fold zone on the northern edge of the Sichuan Basin, in the middle section between the Greater and Lesser Jian Mountains. Surrounded by steep cliffs and jagged peaks resembling swords, with cliffs facing each other like a gate, it is thus called “Jianmen” (Sword Gate). It is one of China’s most famous natural passes, renowned as the “Most Precipitous Pass Under Heaven,” “The No.1 Pass Under Heaven,” and “The Gateway to Shu.” It is the core scenic area of the Jianmenguan-Shu Road National Key Scenic Spot and the main part of the Jianmenguan National Forest Park. Its main features are grandeur, peril, serenity, and depth. Jianmenguan is a gap in the middle section of the hundreds-of-li-long Greater Jian Mountain, presenting a terrain of “one man guarding the pass can hold off ten thousand.” It holds an extremely important strategic geographical position. Over a hundred battles have taken place here, more than ten emperors have visited, and countless literati have left nearly four thousand works.
Scenery of Zhaohua Ancient Town
Zhaohua Ancient Townis located in Zhaohua Town, Yuanba District, Guangyuan City. Formerly known as Jiameng, it has a history of over 4,000 years and a continuous history of county establishment for 2,244 years, making it the best-preserved ancient Three Kingdoms town in China to date. Initially built during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Anciently known as “Xi” or the Marquisate of Ju, after the Qin dynasty conquered the Shu kingdom, Jiameng County was established under Shu Commandery, often referred to as “the First County of Bashu and the Second Capital of the Shu Kingdom.” The Jialing River flows here, forming a meandering water system and a naturally formed Taiji pattern, earning the reputation of the “No.1 Natural Taiji Landscape of Water and Mountain in the World.” Occupying a unique geographical position described as “to the east, the Jiebai Ferry blocks the way; to the west, the Tianxiong Pass guards the exit; to the south, heading toward Canglang, the Meiling Pass lies in between; to the north, crossing the Yinping, the Baishui Pass stands as defense,” it became a combined land-and-water strategic hub integrating “pass” and “town,” hailed as “the Throat of All Shu and the Lock of Northern Sichuan.” It served as a heavily garrisoned military stronghold in ancient times and was also the political, economic, and cultural center of northern Sichuan.
Running on the Ancient Shu Road
Peng Shiyang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Guangyuan Cultural Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd., stated that the start of the 2019 China Mountain Marathon Series – Daxu Road Mountain Marathon in Guangyuan greatly promoted the cultural tourism of Guangyuan’s Daxu Road, as well as the scenic areas of Jianmenguan and Zhaohua Ancient Town, playing a significant role in boosting tourism development in Guangyuan. Guangyuan Cultural Tourism Group and its subsidiary, Daxu Road Sports Industry Company, will work together with the municipal and county governments of Jiange and Zhaohua District to continuously cultivate the Daxu Road brand. We aim to make the Daxu Road Mountain Marathon a top-tier domestic and internationally renowned branded event within three to five years, delivering a brand-new, most charming, and distinctive marathon experience for runners, tourists, and sports enthusiasts.
Highlights of the Race
Enthusiastic children high-fiving and cheering for the runners
The race course passes through Zhaohua Ancient Town, offering runners the most authentic experience
“Go for it!Go for it!You’re the best!”
The collision of the Ancient Shu Road and foreign runners
Running toward victory