With the development of China's economy, social progress, and continuous improvement in people's living standards, sports have become an indispensable part of people's lives. To strengthen the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, vigorously developing the sports industry not only meets the growing needs of the people but also enriches cultural and sports life, thereby enhancing people's sense of happiness. The "Healthy China, Fascinating Scenery" HCFR International Trail Running Challenge was thus born.
On March 13, the press conference and launch ceremony for the 2018 inaugural station — the "Healthy China, Fascinating Scenery" HCFR International Trail Running Challenge · Poetry & Painting Pujiang Station — were successfully held in Beijing. Attendees included Tang Chunlei, Deputy Director of the Editorial Department of CCTV Sports Events Channel; Zhang Weidong, Deputy County Magistrate of Pujiang County People's Government; Li Yanting, Assistant General Manager of CCTV Sports; Guo Fei, Director of the Marketing Center of CCTV Sports; Shang Lin, Executive Chief Editor of Fifth Channel Magazine; Jia Yinong, Deputy Director of the Office of Pujiang County People's Government and Director of the Emergency Office; Pan Yanan, Deputy Director of Pujiang County Education (Sports) Bureau; Zhang Jinwei, Chairman of Zhongshi Huiguang (Beijing) International Sports Media Co., Ltd.; Hong Junlian, Chairman of Pujiang County Sports Development Co., Ltd.; and Chinese figure skating star Zhang Dan.
The 2018 HCFR International Trail Running Challenge "Poetry & Painting Pujiang" Station will be held on April 21 in Pujiang County, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, known as the "Hometown of Calligraphy and Painting" and the "Hometown of Poetry." This is the first event of the competition in 2018 and marks its return to Pujiang following the successful hosting of the 2017 International Trail Running Challenge – Poetry & Painting Pujiang Station. The event received strong support from CCTV Sports Events Channel and was hosted by Pujiang County People's Government, with co-organization by China Sports Media Co., Ltd., Zhongshi Huiguang (Beijing) International Sports Media Co., Ltd., and Pujiang County Sports Development Co., Ltd. It was co-sponsored by Fifth Channel Magazine, TITAN+ (the news app of TITAN Sports), Aijiangshan, and the Pujiang County Mountaineering Association.
CCTV Puts Efforts into Building a Mainstream Trail Running Event to Boost Local Cultural and Tourism Industry Upgrades
In 2017, CCTV Sports Events Channel provided comprehensive coverage of the HCFR International Trail Running Challenge, conveying the channel’s philosophy of "More Sports, More Choices" to the public, which received widespread recognition from the industry and participants. This year, CCTV Sports once again fully supports the event, aiming to establish a mainstream domestic trail running brand, continuously promote the development of trail running events, and integrate the competition with social development, urban construction, and tourism entertainment to create a comprehensive, integrated trail running event operation platform. Tang Chunlei, Deputy Director of the Editorial Department of CCTV Sports Events Channel, stated in his speech that CCTV Sports Events Channel has the responsibility to promote the development of trail running events and will focus on cultivating a distinctive local trail culture to assist in the integrated upgrade of local economic, cultural, and tourism industries. "This also aligns with the operational philosophy of CCTV5+ Sports Events Channel — More Sports, More Choices," said Tang Chunlei.
As the host of the event for the second time, Zhang Weidong, Deputy County Magistrate of Pujiang County, mentioned in his speech that nearly 3,000 runners participated in the Pujiang Station event in 2017. Every participant felt the simplicity, kindness, and sincerity of the people of Pujiang. Pujiang not only gained from the sports event itself but also earned a great social reputation.
More Mature Course, Comprehensive Upgrade for 2018 Event
The press conference revealed details about the race. Building on the 2017 course, the 2018 route has been newly optimized and upgraded. The competition features four categories: 100 km, 50 km, 25 km, and 10 km. Among them, the 100 km course has a more mature layout, offering a finisher points value of 4. The route includes the beautiful Pujiang River and the secluded ancient Songxi Village, with up to 85% of the course maintaining its original terrain. It also adds long-distance ridge crossings, offering diverse and stunning scenery.
In addition to the course upgrade, the new event logo retains elements and color schemes inspired by the sky, earth, and mountains, while incorporating a running human figure to reflect the core concept of the event — people-oriented and healthy running. The integration of the Fifth Channel logo further highlights the event’s authority and strength. The event’s English abbreviation, HCFR (Healthy China Fascinating Race), has also been added to improve practical usage and public recognition of the event name, strengthening its international appeal.
As the first event of 2018, the Poetry & Painting Pujiang Station drew inspiration for the design of its race shirts, finisher medals, and finisher shirts from the distinctive architectural styles of Songxi Village — one of Pujiang’s first group of traditional Chinese ancient villages and a famous historical and cultural village in China. This design conveys Pujiang’s deep cultural heritage and poetic sentiment, adding a strong poetic touch to the event.
At the press conference, representatives shared their trail running stories, including Sheng Jialong, a champion of the International Trail Running Challenge; Wang Huimin, a 60-year-old inspirational runner; Xue Xiaoqian, leader of the volunteer team; and Zhao Genggeng, leader of the rescue team. Yang Jianguo, event advisor for the HCFR International Trail Running Challenge, also led figure skating star Zhang Dan and Sheng Jialong in a fitness mini-game. Zhang Dan, who had attended the Pujiang Station launch event last year, said that trail running can enrich runners’ emotions and broaden their horizons.