Breaking through self-limitations at 5,000 meters — Jianliduo Cool Run along the Yangtze River comes to a perfect finale

From summer to autumn, the 42-day “Jianliduo RUN2442 Cool Run along the Yangtze River: Explore Infinity” event (hereinafter referred to as the “Jianliduo Yangtze River Run”) finally arrived at its endpoint in Yushu, Qinghai. Here, elite runners worked together to complete the “Jianliduo RUN2442 Three-River-Source Challenge” (hereinafter referred to as the Three-River-Source Challenge), marking a perfect finale for the Jianliduo Yangtze River Run.

As the final leg of this upstream feat, runners had to traverse the uninhabited mountainous areas of Yushu at an altitude of 5,000 meters, navigate the most complex terrains, overcome a series of challenges brought by the high altitude, and trace the river upstream to the source of the Yangtze. The waters of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers originate here, as does the melting of glacial snow—this upstream journey from east to west is also a heartfelt tribute to the Mother River.

Additionally, the 42-kilometer relay run took place along a route with complex and ever-changing environments — from the desolate and serene Tibetan Plateau to scattered herds of cattle and sheep; at times, the sky was as clear as smooth, jade-like azure, and at others, mountains rose like stacked layers of snowy cake. Behind the breathtaking scenery lies the wildest of wilderness.

On the day of the event, light snow fell. With snow-capped mountains in the distance, runners faced a host of challenges including bitter cold, physical exhaustion, oxygen deficiency, water scarcity, and intense ultraviolet rays. They gave their all to adapt to the climate and stay focused on running.

Even under such harsh conditions, just 4 hours and 3 minutes after the start, the champion crossed the finish line of the “Three-River-Source Extreme Run.” It is reported that the men’s champion, first runner-up, and second runner-up were Fan Lianwei, Wang Xiaohang, and Jiang Ge respectively, while the women’s champions were Chen Xi and Vian.

In the preceding 42 days, the Yangtze River runners started from Qidong, Jiangsu — the river’s estuary — and traced the river all the way upstream to the source of the Yangtze’s southern branch, the Danqu River, at an altitude of 5,136 meters. Along the way, they continuously overcame various lesser-known challenges and pushed beyond their own limits.

In the first half, runners faced the trial of scorching heat, ran through ground temperatures of 70°C, and in Ezhou, Hubei, broke the Guinness World Record for “Most People Completing a 1-Mile Relay Run in 24 Hours.” The second half of the journey was exceptionally arduous and complex: cold and hunger, rain, hail, and snowstorms, muddy and potholed roads, falling rocks and landslides, car accidents ahead on winding gravel roads, supply vehicles inching through tight spaces, searching for gas stations along unknown roads, flat tires, hotels without heating despite covering up with three quilts and still shivering… Upon reaching high-altitude sections, runners also endured altitude sickness, heart palpitations, sleepless nights, and having only two bottles of mineral water as supplies hadn’t arrived — yet no one dared to drink them.

In the face of these dangers and hardships, Jianliduo — the exclusive title sponsor and “joint care expert” — accompanied the runners every step of the way, spreading the energy and passion of the event to every running enthusiast.

As the first product launched under the “flagship product” strategy of BYHEALTH, Jianliduo inherits the brand’s excellent DNA of “global nutrition, select the finest,” and stays true to BYHEALTH’s philosophy of “exercise + nutrition = health.” Through the Yangtze River relay run, Jianliduo hopes to raise awareness about bone and joint health, provide higher-quality dietary supplements for joints, and become the go-to bone health expert for runners.