At 5:57 PM on July 31, 2015, Beijing time, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach announced in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that Beijing and Zhangjiakou would be the host cities for the 24th Winter Olympic Games in 2022. The news sparked nationwide celebrations. With this, China became the ninth country to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics, and Beijing the first city in the world to have been awarded both. Meanwhile, Zhangjiakou is set to earn the title of an “Olympic city” thanks to the Winter Games.
On the first weekend after the announcement, August 2, The North Face, China’s leading outdoor brand, in collaboration with the Bird’s Nest, held the final leg of its “Brave Transformation · Run Together” health relay run event in Zhangjiakou. The event was successfully held at the Duolemeidi Mountain Sports Resort in Zhangjiakou. A total of 500 professional and amateur runners from across the country participated in this leg, using their passionate strides to celebrate Beijing and Zhangjiakou’s successful Olympic bid.
The North Face Supports the Winter Olympics with the Geek Mountain Wild Marathon
As the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympics was finalized, The North Face’s “Brave Transformation · Run Together” campaign reached its climax. Whether it was the star-studded Beijing leg, the family-friendly run in Shenyang, the glow-in-the-dark run in Harbin, or the mountain marathon in Zhangjiakou, the diverse formats and wide participation reflected The North Face’s vision of promoting mass fitness and fulfilling its commitment to supporting China’s Winter Olympics bid. As the final leg, and with Zhangjiakou being one of the host cities for the 2022 Winter Olympics, public anticipation for the upcoming Games was sky-high. It is reported that the Zhangjiakou event was divided into three parts: a 10 km experience run, a 21 km half-marathon, and a 42 km full marathon. Every participant demonstrated remarkable courage and endurance.
At 7:30 AM on August 2, the Zhangjiakou leg of The North Face’s “Geek Mountain Wild Marathon” in support of the Winter Olympics commenced. Mr. Tian Yongjun, Director of the Chongli County Tourism and Sports Bureau, delivered a welcome speech to inaugurate the event. He congratulated Beijing and Zhangjiakou on becoming the host cities for the 2022 Winter Olympics, expressed gratitude to The North Face for organizing such a public fitness event to support the Olympics, and welcomed the many outdoor enthusiasts who came to Zhangjiakou to participate in the mountain cross-country run.
Ms. Wang Cuiying from The North Face’s Customer Relationship Management Department said in her speech: “First of all, congratulations to Beijing and Zhangjiakou on winning the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. The successful hosting of the Winter Olympics will greatly promote the spread of ice and snow culture in our country, thereby accelerating the rapid development of the ice and snow industry chain, drawing more attention to winter sports and health, and sparking a wave of national fitness. Taking this opportunity, The North Face calls on everyone to contribute their own strength and cheer for the successful hosting of the Winter Olympics in our country — ‘Brave Transformation, Run Together.’”
Mr. Wang Li, Chairman of the Duolemeidi Mountain Sports Resort, delivered a speech welcoming runners from across the country to the beautiful Duolemeidi Mountain Sports Resort, and also extended a warm welcome to all ice and snow enthusiasts to come and ski at the scenic Duolemeidi ski resort during the snowy season.
For the same dream, women were no less courageous than men. Many female participants signed up for this event — not just for the 10 km and 21 km categories, but also for the challenging 42 km full marathon. Although numerous aid stations were set up along the way, supplying functional drinks, energy gels, and salt tablets, the course was generally tough to complete. One female participant told reporters: “I usually run regularly, but running at an altitude of over 1,500 meters today was quite a challenge. I kept going today because our country succeeded in its Winter Olympics bid, and I’m incredibly excited. And the scenery here is just breathtaking!” Many runners also expressed, “We’re giving it our all to celebrate our country’s successful Olympic bid.” Local Zhangjiakou runners were even more fired up: “The Winter Olympics has made Zhangjiakou known to the whole world. As a local, I’m proud, and we’ll show our courage and sincerity to let the world see a different kind of Winter Olympics.”
A young runner in action
Sprinting toward the finish line
A 12-year-old girl won second place in the women’s 10 km category
Champion of the men’s 42 km full marathon
Group photo of winners in the men’s 42 km full marathon
Thus, The North Face’s “Brave Transformation · Run Together” health relay run campaign has come to a complete close, but The North Face’s spirit of bold exploration never stops. From initial support to ultimate victory, The North Face and everyone witnessed the birth of a miracle together. It is foreseeable that in the future, ice and snow culture will rapidly develop in our country. As public interest in the Winter Olympics and winter sports continues to grow, The North Face has also launched a new series of skiing products, with actor Xia Yu serving as the spokesperson for the line. This product range includes ski jackets, ski goggles, ski hats, ski gloves, and more. The designs feature printed patterns and color blocks, offering strong warmth retention while being stylish and high-tech.
The outdoor products business, as the cornerstone of The North Face Group, will continue to pursue technological innovation, providing safe and comfortable outdoor gear for the brave and adventurous, and will achieve continuous breakthroughs and remarkable transformations through the synergistic development of its three major business divisions.
With seven years to go until 2022, let’s help Beijing create another Olympic miracle and cheer for Zhangjiakou to host a successful Winter Olympics.