At 9:00 AM Beijing time on May 31, 2014 (or 3:00 AM local time), coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, the fourth edition of the TECNICA-sponsored Annecy Maxi Race (86 km, 5200 m D+) officially started.
Four Chinese TECNICA trail runners — Gu Bing (@TianShengJiuAiPao), Liang Xinde (@ZheDaTiNengJiaoLian-DaLi), Cai Yingyuan (@CaiYingYuan), and Su Ziling (@LaoQuDeChongZi) — along with two other Chinese athletes, @YouPeiQuan and @LiShaoZhuang, were invited to compete. This marked the start of their “Annecy Journey.” The event was also sponsored by ACTIONFOX Happy Fox, ISPO Asia — the Asian trade show for sports equipment and fashion, Italian sports compression brand MICO, and Italian trekking poles brand GABEL.
Participating in international competitions helps us see the gap between Chinese trail running and the global level, and also aids in promoting trail running across China. In this race, the six athletes performed outstandingly: You Pei Quan crossed the finish line as the 18th finisher with a time of 9 hours, 56 minutes, and 5 seconds; TECNICA athlete Gu Bing finished 54th with a time of 11 hours, 32 minutes, and 35 seconds; Li Shao Zhuang completed the race in 12 hours, 56 minutes, and 54 seconds, ranking 142nd; our team members Liang Xinde finished in 15 hours, 22 minutes, and 23 seconds, and Su Ziling in 17 hours, 14 minutes, and 3 seconds, both successfully completing the course; Cai Yingyuan withdrew from the race at the 70 km mark due to injury.
On the podium, the top three Chinese athletes — You Pei Quan, Gu Bing, and Li Shao Zhuang — received their awards. Their joy came not only from their achievements but also from the pride of representing their country abroad.
Starting in 2015, this race will become part of the IAU World Trail Championships, with the 2014 edition serving as the qualifying event for the following year.