From summer to autumn, the 42-day “Jianliduo RUN2442 Cool Run Along the Yangtze, Explore the Infinite” event (hereinafter referred to as the “Jianliduo Yangtze Run”) has finally arrived at its final destination: Yushu, Qinghai. Here, elite runners worked together to complete the “Jianliduo RUN2442 Three-River-Source Challenge” (hereinafter referred to as the Three-River-Source Challenge), marking a perfect conclusion to the Jianliduo Yangtze Run.
As the final leg of this upstream odyssey, runners had to traverse the uninhabited mountainous areas of Yushu at an altitude of 5,000 meters, navigate the most complex terrains, overcome a series of challenges brought by the high altitude, and trace the river source all the way to the origin of the Yangtze River. The waters of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers all originate here, as do the melting glacial streams — and this upstream journey from east to west is also a heartfelt tribute to the mother river.
In addition, the 42-kilometer relay run took participants through a complex and ever-changing environment — from the desolate and lonely Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to scattered herds of cattle and sheep; from moments when the sky was as clear as smooth, jade-like sapphire to times when mountains resembled stacked layers of snowy cake. Behind the breathtaking scenery lies the wildest of nature in its most primal form.
On the day of the event, light snow fell. With snow-capped mountains in the distance, runners faced a series of challenges including bitter cold, physical fatigue, oxygen deficiency, water scarcity, and intense ultraviolet rays — yet they gave their all to adapt to the climate and stay focused on running.
Even under such harsh conditions, just 4 hours and 3 minutes after the start, the champion crossed the finish line of the “Three-River-Source Extreme Run.” It is reported that the men’s champion, first runner-up, and second runner-up were Fan Lianwei, Wang Xiaohang, and Jiang Ge, respectively, while the women’s champion and first runner-up were Chen Xi and Vian.
Over the previous 42 days, the Yangtze runners started from Qidong, Jiangsu — the river’s estuary — and traced the river all the way upstream to the source of the Yangtze’s southern branch, the Danqu River, at an altitude of 5,136 meters. They continuously overcame various lesser-known challenges and pushed beyond their own limits.
In the first half of the journey, runners faced the trial of scorching heat, running through ground temperatures of 70°C. In Ezhou, Hubei, they even broke the Guinness World Record for “the most people completing a one-mile relay run within 24 hours.” The second half of the route proved to be exceptionally tough and complex: enduring cold and hunger, battling rain, hail, and snowstorms, navigating muddy and potholed roads, dealing with falling rocks and landslides, encountering traffic accidents on winding gravel mountain roads, supply vehicles squeezing through tight spaces, searching for gas stations along unknown routes, flat tires, and hotels without heating where even three blankets couldn’t ward off the shivers... Upon reaching the high-altitude sections, runners also faced challenges such as altitude sickness causing palpitations and sleeplessness, delayed supplies leaving them with only two bottles of mineral water — which no one wanted to drink.
Faced with these dangers and hardships, Jianliduo — the exclusive title sponsor and “bone and joint care expert” — accompanied the runners every step of the way, spreading the passion and vitality of the event to every running enthusiast.
As the first product launched under the “flagship product” strategy of BYHEALTH, Jianliduo inherits the brand’s excellent DNA of “global nutrition, selecting only the best,” and remains committed to the philosophy of “exercise + nutrition = health.” Through the Yangtze River relay run, Jianliduo hopes to raise awareness about bone and joint health among more people, provide higher-quality dietary supplements for joint care, and become the go-to bone health expert for runners.