Reporters learned from the organizing committee of the “Badaling Desert Ultra” that registration for China’s first ultra-long-distance premier trail running event — the inaugural “Silk Road Badaling Desert Ultra” — has closed, with all 50 limited spots snapped up by elite trail runners from around the globe.
It is also understood that, aside from being grueling and treacherous, the race route boasts unparalleled cultural and scenic value. The course passes through 60 ancient cities and beacon towers, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Suoyang City and Xuanquan Posthouse), and four national-level cultural heritage protection units (Yulin Grottoes, Damuzi-Muzi Que, Kunlun Barrier, and Eastern Thousand Buddha Caves). Elite athletes from around the world will not only get an up-close experience of the vastness of the desert, the majesty of glaciers, the purity of river valleys, and the expanse of the blue sky, but will also feel the depth and richness of China’s millennia-old culture.