Awaken Vitality – Outdoor Living Transforms Life ―― 2016 Xingzhi Discovery Sports Events Grand Launch ... ... ...

Liu Yang, General Manager of Xingzhi Discovery Events Management Company, introduces the group's events on-site

Among them, the "TOUR RUN" Scenic Area Marathon Series and2016the Badain Jaran Desert Ultra Trail as the flagship marathon and trail running events of Xingzhi Discovery for the2016year made their official debut at this press conference, becoming the biggest highlights.

“TOUR RUN"Scenic Area Marathon" Seriesis a nationwide touring(road running event jointly initiated by Chengdu Shuangyi Marathon Events Management Co., Ltd. under Xingzhi Discovery”(hereinafter referred to as”)"Chengdu Shuangyi") in collaboration with Tencent Sports. Building on the successful experience of organizing events such as the "Silk Road Dunhuang Marathon," "Shu Dao Yi Chuan Relay Marathon," and the "Chengdu Shuangyi Marathon," Chengdu Shuangyi, together with Tencent, advocates the theme concept of "Take Your Running Shoes and Travel."4×1They have selected”high-quality cultural scenic spots across the country, perfectly integrating running with travel to create convenience and opportunities for both runners and travel enthusiasts. This allows them to enjoy the visual satisfaction brought by scenic beauty during exercise and experience the thrill of running while traveling, making it a truly cultural and enjoyable running event. Long-distance running is the best way to fall in love with a city, and the combination of travel and city marathons has become an increasingly close and healthy way for people to deeply experience urban life, showing vast market potential. Du Peng, Deputy General Manager of Chengdu Shuangyi Marathon Events Management Co., Ltd., stated that the upcoming "10" series will span east to west and north to south, lasting nearly a year, with“TOUR RUN”cities including Nanjing, Changsha, and Urumqi among the candidate hosts. This aims to meet the needs of runners from different regions and with varying marathon preferences.TOUR RUNDu Peng, Deputy General Manager of Chengdu Shuangyi Marathon Events Management Co., Ltd.10Against the backdrop of the national marathon boom, the concept of "scenic area running" has also been clearly defined and proposed for the first time. As a strategic partner of "TOUR RUN," Xu Shaolian, Director of Tencent Sports, provided a forward-looking introduction on the development trends of big data and market vision: "In 2014, the state called for accelerating the development of the sports industry, raising the industry blueprint from 900 billion to 5 trillion yuan. In 2015, the General Administration of Sport announced that the sports industry had reached 7 trillion yuan in capital, surpassing expected targets, so the future potential of the entire industry is beyond imagination. We hope that through this collaboration, we can connect online and offline experiences for running enthusiasts, turning the entire running process into a presentation of personal data, generating joy and spreading happiness, making 'TOUR RUN' a way to enjoy life and pleasure. This is also the original intention behind 'Take Your Running Shoes and Travel.'"

Xu Shaolian, Director of Tencent Sports

Within the

strategic layout, the first stop, Nanjing, holds special significance. Zhou Guiping, Director of the Jiangning District Sports Bureau in Nanjing, expressed full confidence: "Jiangning, Nanjing, has a long history and profound cultural heritage. In

, the only known skull relic of Sakyamuni Buddha was enshrined long-term at Niushou Mountain Scenic Area, giving Niushou Mountain the additional identity as the birthplace of the Buddhist Niutou Zen sect. This event, named after local customs, is bound to become the best destination for 'Take Your Running Shoes and Travel.'"TOUR  RUNAt the event, Zhou Guiping, Director of the Jiangning District Sports Bureau in Nanjing; Xu Shaolian, Director of Tencent Sports; Liu Yang, General Manager of Xingzhi Discovery Events Management; Li Jia, Vice President of Xingzhi Discovery; Du Peng, Deputy General Manager of Chengdu Shuangyi Marathon Events Management Co., Ltd.; and Yi Min, Chairman of Jiangsu Jianhe Group, as representatives, jointly launched the inauguration of the first stop — the "2015Nanjing · Jiangning Chunniu Shou International Marathon." Registration channels via the official website and WeChat are now open, with the event scheduled for

monthTOUR  RUN”The first stop, the"Nanjing · Jiangning Chunniu Shou International Marathon," has officially launched its registration channels on the official website and WeChat. The event will take place in4month10officially kicks off on the day.

In addition, another event that drew significant attention at the launch was theTOUR RUN”stark contrast to other races and one specially designed for off-road enthusiasts— “2016the 800 Miles Ultra-Trail.”What makes it extreme is that it pioneeredChina’s first world-class ultra-long-distance self-supported, self-navigated, non-stop trail running race, and it is alsoan international competition with global reach. Whether in terms of entry qualifications or race management, it represents a groundbreaking initiative in China’s trail running scene by Xingzhi Tansuo. Race director Qiu Lei particularly emphasized that2016the second edition of the 800 Miles inwill feature participant selection criteria and a lottery system,with only50globally qualified runners eligible to embark on this800hero’s journey.

Xingzhi Tansuo race director Qiu Lei explains the 800 Miles Ultra-Trail

400The 400-kilometer undulating ultra-long course spans three counties/cities in Jiuquan, Gansu (Guazhou, Dunhuang, and Subei), yet has a cutoff time of just150hours—a requirement that is almost insane on its own, not to mention that80%of the route ventures deep into the uninhabited desert hinterlands of northwest China, with the highest point along the entire course exceeding3600meters above sea level and diurnal temperature extremes surpassing70°C, where blazing sun at noon gives way to snowstorms by evening,experiencing all four seasons in a single day.Within such an extremely cold and arid environment, carrying equipment weighing tens of kilograms, relying onGPSnavigation to cross mountains and rivers, and trekking through countless unfamiliar terrains such as black gravel deserts, saline-alkali lands, wind-eroded yardangs, glacial snow mountains, and river valley hills—the brutality of it all surpasses even that ofUTMB(Ultra Trail du Mont Blancthe Tour du Mont Blanc Endurance Race). Even more noteworthy is that this race adoptsUTMBa points system, where participants must accumulate4or fewer events over two years to earnUTMBpoints totaling20, and have achieved at least one “100K/22hour or100M/finish” within a year to be shortlisted preliminarily.

Such harsh conditions mean that only18Only half of the participants—just over 60 runners—completed the inaugural 800 Li Desert Race.100Even internationally renowned ultrarunners such as Japan’s ultra-running icon Yoshikazu Kazami, Hong Kong-basedMassimofounder Wu Xiuhua, and Italy’s dark horse who ranked among the top eight in the Tor des Géants,24either suffered from recurring injuries or got lost and disoriented, leading to their withdrawal. To tackle such an intense and unpredictable extreme challenge, the organizers not only deployed emergency support like frontline rescue vehicles but also specially equipped the event with

24-hour real-time GPS tracking devices, and pioneered round-the-clock live tracking broadcasts to safeguard the runners throughout the night.On the course of the 800 Li Desert Race,there are over 60 historical sites along the way. Every step takes runners through not only the route taken by the eminent monk Xuanzang on his journey to the West in search of Buddhist scriptures, but also the former military outposts of ancient border guards. As a result, each champion of the 800 Li Desert Race is honored as a "Great General" and is given the unique privilege of naming an ancient beacon tower—some over a thousand years old—after themselves,thus etching their name in the race’s history.All finishers, hailed as "generals," receive a finisher’s medal meticulously crafted in the shape of the Yangling Tiger Tally from the Qin Shi Huang era. The medal is split in two, symbolizing the experience of genuinely havingdirected troops, fought bloody battles, and ultimately returned victorious.

This vast desert of loyalty, bravery, and chivalry is an ideal kingdom for true warriors.

Zhao Ziyu, the first champion and “Great General” of the 800 Li Desert Race.

The documentary on the 800 Li Desert Race, filmed by a South African production team and screened at the launch event, drew gasps of amazement and deep admiration from outdoor enthusiasts. Zhao Ziyu, the first champion and “Great General,” recalled at the launch: “What struck me most was that I faced many difficulties, dangers, and moments of confusion—sometimes even life-threatening challenges—but I had to face them all calmly. Honestly, one lifetime is enough to run the 800 Li Desert Race once, but I still look forward to doing it a second and third time.”At the launch,Benoit Lavalinternational outdoor brand pioneers,2014Bai Bin, who ran back to China, well-known domestic runners such as A Liang (Yang Jianguo), Yan Yi, Su Ziling, as well as RussianOlyafemale participant from the 800 Li Desert Race reconnaissance race in [year],800and many other 800 Li Desert Race participants were present to share their extraordinary real-life “Imperial Courier” adventure and professional insights about ultra-trail running.French runner Lavalwrote shortly after the race: “We endured daytime temperatures of40degrees, nighttime lows of minus10degrees, blizzards, two crossings of altitudes above3400meters, and ran acrossNvastly different terrains including sand dunes, deep valleys, endless plains, and some surfaces that were almost unbelievably tough for humans to run—or even walk—on.” Looking back on that impromptu desert run, he admitted,“Running the 800 Li Desert Race was crazy, but it was truly an unimaginably perfect experience.”，It was also a major revelation for him.

“The 800 Li Desert Race is the only race I’ve ever finished while in pain, because I treated it as a spiritual journey.” Tong Qingjin, the first “Fubo General” to complete the race, was moved to tears as he spoke emotionally once again about the profound insight that “there are no friends, there is no outdoor life.” During the race, his teammate Jiang Xiaoyou accompanied him all the way and they crossed the finish line together. He described this feeling as a “soul connection.”

The registration ceremony for the second 800 Li Desert Race was launched on-site.3October1marks the opening of registration, calling for heroes from around the globe.2016Year9October26–10November5will see the gathering horn sound once again in Dunhuang, Gansu, welcoming outstanding runners from across the world to the vast Gobi Desert.

The Beijing Marathon had nearly30000spots,2010with registration taking two months in the first year, but just6three days the next,and then just10a few hours three years later before all spots were claimed.In recent years, the snowballing growth of the running community has given rise to a wide variety of events, with marathons springing up like mushrooms, creating asupply struggling to meet demand.Running, the simplest of sports, is evolving into a lifestyle attitude, even a highly contagious fashion trend, sweeping away the malaise of sub-health, as an outdoor lifestyle takes root nationwide.

Xingzhi Exploration, guided by the philosophy of “We create experiences to expand the world of the mind,””has been deeply involved in outdoor sports events for ten years, with footprints across Beijing, Shanghai, Gansu, Shenzhen, Sichuan, Yunnan, Fujian, Xinjiang, and Europe, always upholding the spiritual pursuit of “unity of knowledge and action, exploring the mind, exploring the world.”Through its in-depth, full-industry-chain experiential services integrating “culture,+sports,+and tourism,”it promotes the upgrade of healthy lifestyles among China’s middle class and continues to contribute to the healthy development of China’s outdoor industry.