Recently, one of the most challenging extreme trail running events on Earth, the 2015 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), concluded successfully in the picturesque Alpine town of Chamonix. In the TDS category, 1,809 runners participated, with 1,213 finishing. Among the 25 Chinese athletes, 10 completed the race, including five from the 800 Li Desert Race: General of the Cavalry No. 002 Gong Mingcheng, No. 007 Su Ziling, No. 012 Yu Yanmeng, as well as warriors Yan Yi and Li Guozhen, who will embark on the 800 Li journey this year.
Originating in 2003, the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB)is held annually in the Alps of southern Europe, traversing France, Italy, and Switzerland. The course circles Mont Blanc, which stands at 4,810 meters above sea level, covering a total distance of 166 kilometers. With most of the route set in mountainous terrain, participants accumulate an elevation gain of 9,400 meters during the race, making it the world’s most renowned mountain ultra-marathon and often referred to as the "Olympics" or "World Cup" of trail running.
Domestically, the ultra-long-distance trail running scene is also gaining momentum, with the inaugural 800 Li Desert Race—scheduled to officially commence on September 28 to October 4—being one of the most anticipated events. Compared tothe Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB),the 800 Li Desert Race surpasses it in terms of course length, competition rules, and overall difficulty.
400-kilometer ultra-long distance: A first in China, rare globally
As China’s first ultra-long-distance trail race, the 800 Li Desert Race currently features the longest professionally organized course in the country, spanning 400 kilometers—equivalent to 2.4 times the length of the UTMB,4 "Hong Kong 100"s, or 10 marathons. Additionally, it passes through the world’s only national-level extremely arid desert ecological reserve, with 80% of the course located in uninhabited desert areas.80% of the course lies within a no-man’s-land desert zone.
Globally, the most renownedultra-long-distancetop-tier ultra-endurance trail races currently number five: the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (166 km), the Badwater Ultramarathon (217 km), the Jungle Marathon in the Brazilian Amazon (220 km), the Marathon des Sables in the Moroccan Sahara (250 km), and the Tor des Géants in Italy (330 km). This highlights how a 400-kilometer ultra-long distance is exceptionally rare on a global scale.
24-hour non-stop running: The ultimate test of endurance and stamina
This race adopts a self-navigated, self-supported, self-supplied format with 24-hour continuous running. The organizing committee only provides checkpoint and rest station coordinates, without detailed route specifications. All participants must carry mandatory gear as required by the event and complete the race through self-navigation, self-support, and self-supply. The race has a 150-hour cutoff time, with no mandatory rest periods, and rest stations also have their own cutoff times.
70°C temperature difference, 12-grade gales: Pushing athletes to their limits
Compared to the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB),the 800 Li Desert Race features even more complex and variable terrain and climate. The course is located across three counties/cities in Gansu Province: Guazhou, Dunhuang, and Subei. Among them, Guazhou is known as the "World Wind Repository," with historical maximum wind speeds reaching 12 grades. The region has recorded an extreme maximum temperature of 42.8°C and an extreme minimum of -29.1°C, with a staggering diurnal temperature variation of 70 degrees. Participants will traverse complex landscapes including Gobi Desert, yardangs, hills, saline-alkali land, sand dunes, canyons, glaciers, rivers, and alpine meadows. Faced with such harsh natural conditions, even seasoned, elite runners with extensive experience will undoubtedly face a tremendous challenge.Faced with such harsh natural conditions, even seasoned, elite runners with extensive experience will undoubtedly face a tremendous challenge.
It is reported that the inaugural 800 Li Desert Race will commence at 6:48:52 AM on September 28 in Suoyang City, Guazhou, Gansu. At that time, the 800 Li Desert Race team—comprising numerous internationally acclaimed elite trail runners and top domestic athletes—will engage in an unprecedented showdown. Who will claim the championship? Stay tuned to find out.