The Red Bull 24-Hour Beach Challenge concludes as stormy seas and twin brothers take the crown ...

    On November 10, 2013, the only domestic non-stop 24-hour outdoor multi-discipline race — the “Red Bull 24-Hour” Beach Challenge — wrapped up successfully on Dapeng Peninsula in Shenzhen. The event drew 64 teams from all over the country. In the end, the Polar Onepolar team, formed by twin brothers Li Jun and Li Jie and female athlete Dong Li, claimed the championship with a time of 21 hours, 53 minutes, 8.3 seconds. Shenzhen Little Triathletes Outdoor Expansion Team 2 and Shenzhen Little Triathletes Outdoor Expansion Team 1 secured second and third places with times of 23 hours, 5 minutes, 15.1 seconds and 23 hours, 15 minutes, 10 seconds, respectively.
    It is understood that this competition was divided into professional and open groups. The professional group course spanned a total of 120 kilometers. Within 24 hours, participants, in teams, completed 12 events including orienteering, trail running, mountain biking, trekking, kayaking, rope skills, and fun challenges. Due to the impact of Typhoon Haiyan, the difficulty of the 20-kilometer sea kayaking segment increased dramatically. Out of 20 professional teams, only 3 managed to finish within 24 hours, making it the most challenging edition in the event’s history.

    At 5:00 PM on November 9, the professional group race started from Vanke Center in Shenzhen. Right from the first event, orienteering, the time taken exceeded expectations. Steep mountain slopes and rapidly falling darkness caused participants to use up more time. With all headlamps lit, athletes continued through increasingly dark conditions to complete other segments such as mountain biking and trekking. At 00:24 AM on November 10, the Polar Onepolar team was the first to reach the rest area. The athletes set up camp, made fires, cooked meals, tended to injuries, and didn’t finish settling into their tents for rest until after 2:00 AM. However, the more than nine consecutive hours of intense activity left them too exhausted to sleep. They set off again at 5:00 AM, and after trail running and run-bike intervals, they arrived at the seaside — where the real challenge began.
    The difficulty lay at sea. Race director Shi Xin summarized: “The sea kayaking distance was extended to 20 kilometers, scheduled for the morning of the second day. After enduring a long night of hardship, athletes had to tackle this lengthy water segment while both physically and mentally fatigued — a considerable challenge.”

    The weather in Dapeng Bay seemed to help underscore the coastal nature of the Shenzhen event. Under the influence of Typhoon Haiyan, what is usually a calm sea became rough and turbulent, with waves reaching two to three meters high, accompanied by moderate rain. Athletes, three to a kayak, soaked to the skin, battled incoming waves, riding the swells up and down. In the strong surf, the lightweight kayaks seemed almost to be “surfing,” making it extremely difficult to maintain a straight course. The athletes had to paddle continuously just to keep moving forward.
    It was precisely during the sea kayaking segment that the Polar Onepolar team established an unshakable lead. Although the actual time taken exceeded their expectations, they still significantly widened their advantage. Team captain Li Jun, a second-year graduate student at China University of Geosciences, was highly favored to win in the 2012 race but missed out because his teammate failed to check in before the start. Although they finished first, their result was disqualified.

    This year, Li Jun reassembled his team, with the other two members being his twin brother Li Jie and his girlfriend Dong Li. The chemistry between the twins went without saying, and Li Jun and Dong Li were also teammates who often competed together, sharing excellent coordination. Li Jun said: “This year, the difficulty of the sea events exceeded our expectations. Previous races and training were mostly conducted in reservoirs or rivers — we had never tried advancing in such rough waves. Headwinds, currents, and the constant risk of physical exhaustion. Thanks to our extensive competitive experience and seamless teamwork, taking turns resting in the waves while maintaining the correct rhythm and heading, we managed to complete it.” As well-known domestic outdoor athletes, Li Jun and Dong Li recently won the 2013 National Mountain Outdoor Sports Championship, placed fourth in the 2010 Wulong International Mountain Outdoor Sports Competition, and have also represented China in the Abu Dhabi International Adventure Challenge.

    In addition to the fierce competition in the professional group, the open group race, aimed at general outdoor enthusiasts, started at 8:00 AM on November 10. In the end, the Dentist Family Trio won the championship in the 60-kilometer race with a time of 7 hours, 3 minutes, and 7 seconds.