The Red Bull 24-Hour Beach Challenge is about to kick off — mountain sections will cross restricted areas for the first time ...

2013Year11Month9to10, the only domestic round-the-clock outdoor multi-discipline cross-country race——“Red Bull24Hour”Beach Challenge will be held on Shenzhen's Dapeng Peninsula. At that time,60teams totaling180athletes will take part in this“mountain-and-sea, time-sensitive”outdoor comprehensive skills challenge. Within24hours, they will, as teams, complete a series of events including point-to-point navigation, trail running, mountain biking, hill trekking, kayaking, underwater orienteering, rope skills, and fun challenges, among12disciplines. This year, the mountain section will feature the Qiniang Mountain Range — the most challenging mountain area in the Shenzhen region and newly opened for this event. The proportion of sea-based events has also significantly increased, with the combined length of kayaking, underwater orienteering, and other water activities accounting for nearly1/5of the entire race.

It is understood that the total race distance this year has been reduced compared to last year's138kilometers, while the difficulty level has been further raised. Shi Xin, the race director, stated that“this year’s race better integrates mountain and sea elements, achieving breakthroughs in both. In particular, the mountain route enters the Qiniang Mountain Range — the most difficult mountainous area in Shenzhen, which is also a restricted zone — posing a major challenge for the athletes. Additionally, the water events have been extended to20kilometers, and their sequence has been moved up to the start of the second day of the race, allowing more teams to embark on a water journey and paddle along the most beautiful coastline.”

In addition, the number of route markers has been reduced this year, requiring teams to determine their own routes, which also sets higher technical demands on the athletes. "Starting from2012, the number of route signs and guides has decreased compared to previous years,"” said Chen Wenda, the chief judge of the event.“"In world-class high-level cross-country challenges, team members have to judge their route based on maps, contour diagrams, andGPSnavigation. Therefore, in this year’s race, apart from providing guides and markers for night events and dangerous sections, all other segments require the athletes to navigate on their own. The aim is to increase the suspense and excitement of the race, while also testing the overall quality of the participants."”

"The Red Bull24Hour”Cross-Country Challenge is the only domestic race that uses an“uninterrupted”format. It is divided into plateau and beach editions, and its popularity among outdoor enthusiasts stems from its clever integration and condensation of nearly all outdoor elements into ...24Within 30 hours: Each team of three members must include at least one person of the opposite gender, making teamwork even more crucial; outdoor challenges keep changing, demanding not only raw strength but also judgment and coordination; teams must trek through mountains and sail across the sea, with breathtaking scenery along the way; there are days of full-throttle running and nights of gritted-teeth perseverance; all participants are highly skilled, but they also need quick thinking, a sense of humor, and a positive mindset to complete intellectual games and fun activities. As2012Pan Yuanhua, captain of the 2023 coastal race champion team Feirui, put it:“"Our team had the highest average age and was not physically advantaged at all, but we made up for it with experience and excellent coordination. We studied every challenge thoroughly and stuck strictly to our own pace—never rushing in our weaker areas and maximizing strengths in our stronger ones to achieve zero mistakes. That’s how we had a chance to win."

 

    11Month9Day17Hour,2013“the Red Bull24Hour”Coastal Challenge professional division race will start at Dameisha Vanke Center. The course spans112.5kilometers, with the finish line at Dapeng Suocheng, a Ming Dynasty coastal defense fortress with a history of600years. The fastest teams are expected to finish in around20hours. In addition to the professional division,“the Red Bull24Hour”Coastal Challenge also includes an open division for beginner-level outdoor sports enthusiasts. The open division race will start at11Month10Day8Hour from Dapeng Suocheng. Teams will take turns completing over10challenges, including cross-country running, water crossings, fun run-swim relays, underwater orienteering, rope skills, mountain trekking, mountain biking, and fun activities. The total distance is60.2kilometers, and the fastest teams are expected to complete it in around7hours.