Eiger Ultra Trail — Shen Jianfeng Becomes First Mainland Chinese Finisher
If you’ve seen the movie “North Face,” you’re probably familiar with the terrifying north face of the Eiger, standing tall in the Alps. If you know a bit about the history of modern mountaineering, especially the golden and silver ages of climbing, you’ll likely feel both awe and admiration for the Eiger North Face — a mountain that symbolizes honor and “height.” It’s both feared and desired. That’s the first impression most climbers have of the Eiger North Face.
Today, we’re not talking about mountaineering, but trail running.
▲Scenic racecourse helps alleviate participants’ “visual fatigue”
From July 16–17, 2016, the 4th Eiger Ultra Trail, sponsored by Swiss premium outdoor brand MAMMUT and held in Grindelwald, Switzerland, concluded. Established in 2013 and included in the UTWT (Ultra-Trail World Tour) in 2015, the Eiger Ultra Trail was the ninth stop of the 2016 UTWT. The Alpine region where the Eiger is located features changeable mountain weather, high altitudes, and technically challenging terrain, making the race a formidable challenge for any athlete. The most demanding 101 km race involves an ascent of 6,700 meters, covering 87 km of mountain and forest trails and 14 km of asphalt roads, with a 26-hour cutoff.
“Finishing the Eiger Ultra Trail is even harder than climbing the Eiger North Face.” This quote comes from Ueli Steck, the fastest person in the world to climb the Eiger North Face — a Swiss mountaineer who set the record at 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 50 seconds. Known for his astonishing climbing speed, he earned the nickname “Swiss Machine” and was also named ambassador for the Eiger Ultra Trail.
Besides the high level of difficulty, parts of the course run along the foothills of the Eiger, offering runners breathtaking views of the mountain and the stunning beauty of the surrounding Alps. This attracted trail running enthusiasts from around the globe. In addition to 2,200 participants from 63 countries and regions, 165 children also took part in the kids’ race. Two days before the event, Grindelwald briefly experienced snowfall, which posed additional challenges for the organizers.
▲At the highest point, Faulhorn (2,680 m), lingering snow added difficulty to the course, with the thickest layer reaching 15 cm
Diego Pazos from Lausanne, Switzerland, finished the 101 km course in an impressive 11 hours and 39 minutes, taking the men’s title. In the women’s 101 km race, MAMMUT Pro athlete Andrea Huser proved her top form, extending her lead over the second-place finisher by 30 minutes to win with a time of 13:09:38.1. Other MAMMUT-sponsored athletes also performed well, taking both the men’s and women’s titles in the 51 km category. Helmut Schiessl won the men’s 51 km in 5:15:21.9, while Helen Bonsor claimed the women’s title with a time of 6:15:02.0.
▲Diego Pazos crossing the finish line
▲MAMMUT Pro athlete Andrea Huser reaching the finish
Additionally, Hungarian MAMMUT Pro athlete Nemeth Csaba led from start to the summit at Faulhorn, earning him the “King of the Mountains” award (for being the first to reach the highest point of the 101 km course).
Notably, this year marked MAMMUT’s first collaboration with outstanding Chinese runners to compete in the Eiger Ultra Trail. Shen Jianfeng (ID: Flash), a runner under MAMMUT China’s “More Than a Trail” program, finished 28th in the men’s 101 km race, becoming the first mainland Chinese finisher in the race’s history. \From Shanghai, China, he works for a foreign company and enjoys football, F1, and photography. With five years of running experience and a personal best marathon time of 2:46, he has achieved strong results since first competing in the Vibram HK100 in January 2014: 10th in the 2015 Dalian 100 km, and 28th in the 2015 Mt. Fuji Super Trail (161 km). During the race, due to slippery conditions caused by snow, he suffered a scrape on his foot, which caused him to fall to 39th after checkpoints two and three. However, he recovered and finished successfully. Another MAMMUT China invitee, Ma Yanxing (ID: Xiaoka), stayed in the top ten among women early on, maintained steady performance despite a slight slip at checkpoint three, and finished 11th in the women’s 101 km.
▲Shen Jianfeng and Ma Yanxing performing steadily during the race
The two days before the race saw brief snowfall in Grindelwald, with the thickest snow reaching 15 cm. Though this added significant difficulty for both organizers and participants, it enhanced the beauty of the Eiger Ultra Trail. Snow blanketed the mountains, adding a mysterious touch. Invited media representatives, including Cai Yingyuan, General Manager of LeSports Outdoor Division, and Yan Yi, Executive Editor of Runner’s World Magazine, spoke highly of the scenic surroundings, noting that the Eiger Ultra Trail offers not only the beauty of the UTMB but also richer snowy mountain landscapes, creating a more diverse visual experience. As UTWT describes it: “It’s the first ultra-trail race in the Bernese Highlands, passing landmarks like Faulhorn and Schynige Platte before centering around the Eiger North Face. It provides a unique, stunning, and unforgettable experience.”
Grindelwald, the host location, lies in the Jungfrau Region, on the Bernese Plateau in central Switzerland, at the foot of the world-famous Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains. Though small in area, the region boasts a wide variety of natural landscapes, including Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, Alpine glaciers, mountains, tranquil rivers, thundering waterfalls, and diverse wildlife. The Eiger Ultra Trail course lets runners immerse themselves in lush alpine meadows, snow-capped peaks, hiking and trail routes, and breathtaking scenery.
Regarding the enthusiastic participation of Chinese runners and media this year, Eiger Ultra Trail Race Director Ralph Naf said: “The Jungfrau Region is beautiful — in summer you can trail run, hike, or mountain bike, or just relax; in winter you can ski or go snowshoeing. Plus, it’s very convenient to get here from China — daily direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong to Zurich with Swiss International Air Lines, and you can take the Swiss Travel Pass to reach us by train. We look forward to seeing more Chinese outdoor and running enthusiasts here, and hope more Chinese runners achieve great results at the Eiger Ultra Trail!”
▲Race Director Ralph Naf
Nowadays, more and more people are falling in love with trail running. As a top-tier outdoor brand, MAMMUT supports trail runners through action: for world-class challenging races, MAMMUT equips its sponsored athletes with premium gear, ensuring their safety and comfort to help them complete the race. MAMMUT will soon hold a post-race sharing session for the Eiger Ultra Trail, where two specially invited Chinese runners will share their experiences and insights, aiming to inspire more people to learn about and join the sport of trail running.
Photography by Stefan Schlumpf, Zhang Chi, Chen Chunshi, and others
TIPS:
Mammut is one of the most important and successful brands in mountaineering, climbing, trail running, and outdoor equipment. Its products have become benchmarks for quality and innovation in the outdoor industry and set trends. Mammut represents the highest level of safety and has become a comprehensive gear provider for almost all mountaineering activities, including climbing, mountaineering, freestyle skiing, trail running, and hiking. In 2012, Mammut celebrated its remarkable 150th anniversary. In February 2013, Mammut established a wholly-owned subsidiary in China. The company offers a full range of products, including base layers, mid-layers, outerwear for all weather conditions, hiking boots, mountaineering boots compatible with crampons, sleeping bags, backpacks, climbing ropes, carabiners, harnesses, headlamps, and avalanche safety gear. As a top professional outdoor brand, Mammut has long been passionate about developing trail running equipment. Based in the Alps — home to major global trail running events like UTMB and Skyrunning — Mammut’s trail running product line includes clothing, footwear, backpacks, and accessories. Tested by top runners worldwide, these products have helped athletes achieve numerous remarkable results.