The “Silk Road 800 Ultra,” organized by Xingzhi Exploration and hosted by the Silk Road, will commence during the National Day period in the Mohuyanqi Gobi of Guazhou, Gansu. Renowned professional trail runners, ultra-marathoners, and extreme off-road running enthusiasts from both China and abroad will venture deep into the extremely arid desert regions of northwest China, running across deserts, Gobi, yardangs, and glaciers, traversing 80% no-man’s-land, and taking on an ultimate test of physical and mental endurance.
The 800 Ultra covers a total distance of 400 kilometers (800 li), making it the first and longest professional extreme off-road running race in China in terms of both distance and intensity. The event adheres to international professional standards and utilizes high-tech methods to ensure positioning, timing, and security. Along the route, there are seven major rest stations and 26 checkpoints. Participants are not given mandatory rest periods and must navigate, carry their own gear, and provide their own supplies throughout the race, completing the 800-li desert crossing within the 150-hour cutoff time. This will undoubtedly be an incredibly grueling race, putting immense pressure on the participants’ mental strength and endurance.
The term “800 li” originates from the oral account “Great Tang Records of the Western Regions” by Master Xuanzang, also known as the Mohuyanqi, referring to the vast desert between today’s Guazhou (formerly Anxi) and Hami. Historical records describe it as: “800 li long, anciently called the Sandy River, with no birds in sight, no beasts below, and neither water nor grass.” By day, there are “scorching winds like fire,” while at night, “biting winds like knives,” with highly unpredictable weather. The diverse terrain, extreme aridity, and volatile climate provide the perfect natural setting for an ultimate challenge, and it is poised to become a “holy grail” for off-road runners and enthusiasts from around the world. At the same time, this is also a stretch rich in Chinese historical and cultural significance, embodying the backbone of the Chinese spirit. Thirteen hundred years ago, Master Xuanzang endured countless life-threatening trials while traveling westward in search of Buddhist scriptures. Today, the Silk Road organizing committee has been developing this route for nine years, having led over 5,000 entrepreneurs, scholars, cultural figures, and others along the Silk Road to practice the “ideal, action, perseverance” spirit of Xuanzang. With the successful inscription of the Silk Road on the UNESCO World Heritage list, the Suoyang City and Xuanquan Posthouse ruins within Gansu have been officially designated as World Cultural Heritage sites—both of which are key points along the 800 Ultra route. As a result, the Silk Road 800 Ultra has truly become one of the rare dual-world-heritage extreme races in the world. This challenging yet culturally rich event will not only promote the development of outdoor extreme sports in China but also help the world gain a deeper understanding of the essence of Chinese spiritual culture.
Suoyang City Ruins
It is understood that this year’s “Silk Road 800 Ultra” will begin as a test event, with the first official race to be grandly launched next year. To date, 11 professional trail runners and enthusiasts from both China and abroad have confirmed their participation. Among them, Russian female athlete Olya Korzh has taken part in numerous major domestic and international outdoor events and has earned numerous honors. Chinese athlete Yu Lei has won gold medals twice in the Hong Kong 100 km Ultra Marathon and also successfully completed the 168 km UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) and UTMF (Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji) in Japan this year. Another Chinese athlete, Qu Lijie (also known as Coral), has just conquered the grueling Tor des Géants in Italy, becoming the first female “Giant” from mainland China.
Subsequently, they will gather in Guazhou, Gansu on October 1st, and set off from the starting point of Suoyang City (Ta’er Temple) on October 3rd. After seven days of enduring the elements, they will pass through landmarks such as Liugongcheng, the Xuanquan Posthouse ruins, Shibaocheng, and the East Thousand Buddha Caves, traversing diverse terrains including small yardangs, canyons, rivers, Gobi, hills, saline-alkali land, sand dunes, glaciers, and mountains, to complete the 400-kilometer off-road challenge and achieve new milestones.