2018Annual China Mountain Marathon Series-Tenglong Cave Cup Lichuan Station (Hubei) (International Race)
Starts Cool and Refreshing
On June 3 (Sunday), the 2018 China Mountain Marathon Series – Tenglong Cave Cup Lichuan Station (International Race) commenced in Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, the hometown of the folk song "Dragon Boat Tune" and known as China’s “Cool City.” This marks the third consecutive year that Lichuan, honored as China’s “No.1 Mountain Marathon City,” has hosted the event.
This year’s event attracted over 3,500 running enthusiasts from 11 countries and regions. The competition featured two events across four categories: the 42-kilometer individual mountain marathon for both men and women, and the 6.6-kilometer mass fitness race for both men and women.
The event was organized by the Chinese Mountaineering Association, Hubei Provincial Sports Bureau, Hubei Provincial Tourism Development Commission, Hubei Provincial Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission, and the People’s Government of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture; co-organized by the Hubei Provincial Social Sports Management Center, Hubei Provincial Mountaineering and Outdoor Sports Association, Hubei Provincial Athletics Association, Enshi Prefecture Culture, Sports, News Publishing and Radio & Television Bureau, and the People’s Government of Lichuan City; and co-sponsored by the Lichuan Municipal Culture, Sports, News Publishing and Radio & Television Bureau, Lichuan TV Station (News Center), Lichuan Municipal Tourism Development Commission, Lichuan Municipal Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau, and Dongcheng Subdistrict Office. It was exclusively operated by Beijing Nantianxing Sports Industry Development Co., Ltd.
Located on the 30th parallel north, Lichuan is a cultural crossroads of Ba and Chu civilizations and the source of the 800-li Qingjiang River. With an average summer temperature of 22.1°C, it is hailed as a “natural oxygen bar and cool summer city.” On June 2, the China Meteorological Society officially awarded the city the honorary title of “Lichuan · China’s Cool City.” This is the first city in Hubei to be named after its climate, and the ninth nationwide to receive such a designation from the China Meteorological Society based on climatic advantages.
As “China’s No.1 Mountain Marathon City,” the 2018 Lichuan Mountain Marathon adopted the theme “Cool City Mountain Marathon · Rural Revitalization.” Drawing on the successful experience of hosting large-scale events in the previous two years, this year the event experimented with a “government-led, market-operated, socially-participated, fully market-driven” model, resulting in a grander scale. The Lichuan route retained signature features such as climbing peaks, descending valleys, traversing caves, crossing forests, admiring cliffs, and viewing waterfalls, offering runners a full taste of the boundless charm of cool Lichuan.
At 8:30 a.m. on the day of the race, the opening ceremony was held at the square of Baique Mountain Eco-Resort Homestay Village. 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, announced the start of the race. Attendees at the ceremony included Duan Xuguang, Second-Class Inspector of the Hubei Provincial Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission; Yin Da, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Enshi Prefectural Committee and Minister of Propaganda; Gao Jingpei, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Enshi Prefecture; Zhang Tao, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Lichuan Municipal Committee and Mayor of Lichuan City; Li Wenmao, Head of the New Projects Department of the Mountaineering Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and the Chinese Mountaineering Association; Shi Dongpeng, renowned Chinese hurdler; Zhang Hua, Secretary and Director of the Hubei Provincial Social Sports Management Center; He Lusheng, Director of the Hubei Provincial Athletics Sports Management Center; Wang Kundei, Secretary and Director of the Enshi Prefecture Culture, Sports, News, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau; Xiang Liping, Secretary and Director of the Enshi Prefecture Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission; Hu Fuxian, Deputy Director of the Enshi Prefecture Tourism Development Commission; Jiang Daicheng, Director of the Lichuan Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee; Wang Daixuan, Vice Chairman of the Lichuan Municipal CPPCC; Chen Miaolin, Chairman of Hangzhou Kaiyuan Tourism Group Co., Ltd.; Guo Zihui, General Manager of Beijing Nantianxing Sports Industry Development Co., Ltd.; Wu Hongfeng, President of Feimiao (Zhangzhou) Garment Development Co., Ltd.; and Liao Yong, Chairman of Beijing Kairui Investment Management Co., Ltd., among other leaders and guests.
Gao Jingpei, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Enshi Prefecture, presided over the opening ceremony. Zhang Tao, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Lichuan Municipal Committee and Mayor of Lichuan City, said in his speech that in recent years, the Lichuan Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government have been striving to build the city into a nationally renowned eco-tourism destination. Lichuan is rapidly growing into a core area of the “Ecological and Cultural Tourism Circle of Western Hubei” and a nationally known leisure and summer resort with ecological livability. “We seize opportunities, take proactive measures, and strive for excellence, using culture and sports as key drivers for the development of the eco-tourism industry cluster. We focus on creating premium outdoor tourism and sports routes, allowing people to enjoy Lichuan’s magnificent natural scenery and experience the profound Tujia and Miao cultures while engaging in sports.”
Zhang Hua, Secretary and Director of the Hubei Provincial Social Sports Management Center, expressed warm welcome and gratitude to the leaders, guests, media, and participating athletes. He noted, “Lichuan is not only China’s No.1 Mountain Marathon City but also a model city for the sport. We will strongly support Lichuan in developing the mountain marathon into a national-level elite mass sports event.”
Li Wenmao, Head of the New Projects Department of the Mountaineering Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and the Chinese Mountaineering Association, also presented an official sponsor plaque to Feimiao (Zhangzhou) Garment Development Co., Ltd. for the 2018 China Mountain Marathon Series during the opening ceremony.
At 9:00 a.m., the starting gun fired, and athletes dashed off the starting line. The 42-kilometer individual race participants set off from the square of Baique Mountain Eco-Resort Homestay Village and ran along a course composed of dirt roads, gravel paths, farm tracks, suspension bridges, and stone-paved paths, covering a cumulative elevation gain of about 1,519 meters (with the highest altitude at 1,344 meters), before finally reaching the finish line at the Tenglong Cave Scenic Area.
This year’s Tenglong Cave Cup Lichuan Station (Hubei) (International Race) continued to showcase the natural beauty of the “Three Dragon Gates,” connecting the Huaqian Valley Scenic Area, Tenglong Cave Tourist Scenic Area, Maotian Stone Path, and Baique Mountain Homestays into one cohesive route. Participants passed by hundred-mile cliffs, cascading waterfalls, solitary towering peaks, primeval forests, and ancient villages. While challenging themselves, they also experienced the beauty of Lichuan, the “Cool City,” where human culture, flower seas, karst landscapes, and ethnic customs blend seamlessly.
After intense competition, Sheng Jialasheng from Yunnan won the men’s 42-kilometer individual race championship with a time of 3 hours, 9 minutes, and 17 seconds. Luo Tao from Guizhou and Jia Ourenjia from Qinghai took second and third places with times of 3 hours, 13 minutes, 9 seconds and 3 hours, 17 minutes, 6 seconds, respectively. Yao Miao from Yunnan claimed the women’s 42-kilometer individual race title with a time of 3 hours, 51 minutes, and 59 seconds. Melesu Birhano Assefa from Ethiopia and Xiang Fuzhao from Guizhou secured second and third places with times of 3 hours, 59 minutes, 6 seconds and 4 hours, 1 minute, 31 seconds, respectively.
To expand the event’s influence, Lichuan planned a series of activities under the theme “Seven Days of Mountain Marathon Joy, Cultural Tourism Carnival.” From May 29 to June 4, activities were held daily, each with new highlights. Events included the “No East No West, Cool City Lichuan” media tour along the Shanghai-Chengdu corridor, a homestay dialogue between Lichuan (Hubei) and Yilan (Taiwan), outdoor sports equipment and specialty product exhibitions, bonfire parties, and community cultural performances. In addition, the National Ethnic Song and Dance Ensemble and the Hubei Provincial Ethnic Song and Dance Ensemble performed during the event, treating local citizens, participants, and guests to wonderful entertainment beyond the races.
The China Mountain Marathon Series was first launched in 2016 with the theme “Run Towards the Mountains, Extraordinary Paths,” encouraging running and fitness enthusiasts to release themselves, achieve success, and gain health through the mountain marathon experience. In 2018, the series planned to hold nine races, with the Lichuan Station (International Race) in Hubei being the third.