On September 19, 2013, the renowned Nordic outdoor sports brand STONEHAM held a sharing session for ST China’s participation in the 2014 UTWT (Ultra-Trail World Tour) and the inauguration ceremony of the ST Trail Running Team at the conference center on the fifth floor of the New Zhongguancun Building in Beijing’s Zhongguancun area. Members of STONEHAM’s global and Chinese management teams, seasoned Chinese trail runners, and numerous trail running enthusiasts enjoyed a delightful and distinctive Mid-Autumn Party.
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The 2014 Ultra-Trail World Tour was officially announced on September 1, following the UTMB event in France. It brings together the world’s most iconic trail running races of 100 kilometers and above to form a new tour, including the Vibram HK100 (Hong Kong, China), Transgrancanaria (Spain), Vibram Tarawera 100 (New Zealand), Marathon des Sables (Morocco), Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji (Japan), Lavaredo Ultra Trail (Italy), Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run (USA), and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (France, Italy, Switzerland). During the sharing session, Mr. Ma Deming, a veteran in Chinese trail running, gave a detailed introduction to the background of the 2014 UTWT, as well as the course details, difficulty levels, required gear, and profiles of participants for each race, giving many runners a preliminary understanding of the UTWT.
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Subsequently, Cherry, the host from Stoneham China, announced the official formation of the “ST Team” trail running team and unveiled the team’s plan to compete in the 2014 UTWT. The top three signed runners of the ST TEAM are Guan Yadi, Yu Lei, and Wang Zichen. All three are energetic and healthy, and their understanding and passion for trail running align perfectly with the ST brand image.
STONEHAM’s attention, support, and promotion of the trail running market, combined with its classic Nordic and North American academic design style, the ST lifestyle advocated by the brand, and the joining of three well-known figures in the running community, are the main reasons for their inclusion in the ST TEAM.
The ST Team plans to complete the tour within 2–3 years, and achieving this goal will require tremendous effort from both the athletes and the brand.
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During the sharing session, members of the ST Team also gave talks to fellow runners on various themes:
“ST TEAM Captain Guan Yadi: Preparing for Multi-Day Races and Organizing Overseas Events, as Discussed from the Arctic Trail Iceland; Yu Lei, Director of the Dalian 100 and Dali 100 races, shared insights on promoting the Dali 100 and previewed the 2014 Dalian 100; renowned trail runner Wang Zichen discussed pre-race training preparation and race strategies for ultra-trail events. The audience responded enthusiastically.”
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(ST TEAM member and Director of the Dalian 100 and Dali 100 races, Yu Lei, during the sharing session)
Peter Larsson and Fredrik Persson, founders of the STONEHAM brand, also took the stage to speak. They congratulated the establishment of the ST TEAM and expressed their hopes and blessings for the team’s participation in the 2014 UTWT. They also stated that STONEHAM will continue to pay attention to and support the Chinese trail running market.
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(ST founders and China CEO Fredrik Persson offering blessings to the team members)