On March 24, volunteers of the "Shenzhen Hundred Kilometers" provided assistance to hikers.
On March 23 and 24, the annual "Shenzhen Hundred Kilometers" once again attracted widespread attention. This is a large-scale, non-profit hiking event organized spontaneously by hikers. From just 52 participants in its first edition in 2001, it has now grown to attract over 30,000 outdoor enthusiasts from all over the country. Why has this event become increasingly vibrant? And why do those unsung backstage workers (all interviewees in this article requested anonymity and declined to provide personal photos) persist in volunteering their time and effort without compensation? What insights can society gain from the organizers' model of self-mobilization, self-management, and self-coordination?
The Self-Management Model
Communication mainly relies on the internet – anyone who stays passionate can become a “leader”
Whenever “Hundred Kilometers” is mentioned, volunteers always bring up their leader — “Snow Night” (online alias), the founder of the event. He has participated in organizing the activity eight times and is currently one of the members of the Hundred Kilometers organizing committee.
When asked about the organizational structure and working model of the Hundred Kilometers, “Snow Night” chuckled. “There’s no so-called organization, no so-called staff, no fixed office space. We simply post the event information on the Mafengwo website, and hikers choose different roles based on their interest, communicating online—that’s all.”
Initially, “Snow Night” and a few veteran hikers started the Hundred Kilometers just for fun. But as the event was held repeatedly, and always maintained a hiker-governed, non-commercial approach, it gained increasing attention. After each event, hikers were eager to post “homework threads,” filled with text and photos that vividly recounted their experiences, attracting more and more attention and expanding the event’s influence.
By this year, the Hundred Kilometers event has established 12 fixed volunteer groups, such as the Outreach Group, Environmental Protection Group, Check-in Group, Emergency Group, Information Group, Logistics Group, and Route Setup Group, all of which gradually formed over the years. These 12 groups consist of over 1,200 volunteers, all of whom are netizens who signed up voluntarily. These everyday outdoor enthusiasts take on purely service roles during the Hundred Kilometers event. Some undergo training two to three months in advance, while others stand guard overnight at a bridge tunnel on the day of the event.
“Over the past decade, through natural selection, many volunteers have come and gone, but the dozen or so who remained became the core committee members, leading each event. We first confirm the overall person in charge, then that person gathers the leaders of the 12 groups, and each leader recruits the necessary volunteers. All of this work is basically done online. Everyone is very conscientious—some have been involved continuously for over ten years, while others change every year, but what remains unchanged is everyone’s enthusiasm and sense of responsibility,” said “Snow Night.”
When asked about the keys to success that others might learn from, “Snow Night” scratched his head, seeming a bit at a loss. After thinking it over, he finally mentioned two points.
First, minimizing commercial elements in the event is a principle the Hundred Kilometers has always upheld. “Many companies have approached us—some wanted naming rights, others large advertisements—but we turned them all down. We want the Hundred Kilometers to remain a spontaneous, non-profit, grassroots, purely non-commercial event.” In “Snow Night’s” view, this “purity” preserves the original passion of each participant, motivating them to contribute and share freely, and even to dedicate their time and money to the event.
Second, each group leader has the autonomy to make decisions. “They have the authority to decide on event matters, and their ideas can be realized, which is why they remain enthusiastic about participating in the organization year after year.”
Event Organization and Execution
Two volunteers manage registration for ten thousand people – hikers check in but receive no special reception
Hikers from all over the country learn about and join the Hundred Kilometers entirely online.
It’s hard to imagine that the online registration of 12,000 participants is handled by just two volunteers: “Xinhailingbo” and another volunteer—one managing the Full-Distance Group, the other the Experience Group.
Eleven years ago, when “Xinhailingbo” first arrived in Shenzhen, he had few friends. At that time, chat tools like QQ were just becoming popular, but he didn’t like such indirect ways of interacting. Recommended by a friend, he joined Mafengwo, initially just “lurking”—browsing forum posts. Through the words and photos, he felt the warmth among hikers. Eventually, “Xinhailingbo” decided to “get his feet wet” and joined a Mafengwo-organized activity. He clearly remembers his first trip to Mount Ma’anshan, where veteran hikers patiently taught him skills like stream tracing, allowing him to experience the purest and most sincere friendships between people. That experience hooked him on Mafengwo forever.
In 2005, “Xinhailingbo” walked half of the Hundred Kilometers, completed the full distance the next year, and became a volunteer in the third year. “Our roles aren’t really that clearly defined, nor are they fixed. I’ve been an environmental volunteer, a safety awareness volunteer, and three years ago I began answering questions online with ‘Snow Night.’ In 2011, I took over the online registration work.”
The registration process may seem complicated, but it’s actually not difficult—it just requires attention to detail. As a moderator for the Shenzhen section, the main task is to log into the webpage, review the information, and confirm it. Due to updates to the website’s registration system this year, the process was delayed, so registration only opened in early March. But within just three days, all 12,000 spots were filled. “Xinhailingbo” was mainly responsible for confirming entries in Group A (the Full-Distance Group). “I work as a clerk at a jewelry company,
After confirmation, the work of "Xinhailingbo" was basically completed. This registration list was downloaded by the programmer and handed over to the volunteer at the check-in station, "Michael."
The check-in team is the group that interacts the most and most directly with the participating hikers. Although hikers come from all over the country, the check-in team treats everyone equally: no special receptions, no special treatment—everyone must line up and check in in order. At the scene, reporters saw groups that had chartered buses from out of town; they parked their vehicles in the parking lot, and the hikers checked in on their own. "Our event is a public welfare activity, and the cost is not high—we absolutely do not engage in any special reception," said Michael.
Don’t assume that the check-in team only handles calling out names at various check-in points—their work is actually very complex. From confirming the entry and exit points of the check-in stations, the placement of umbrella shelters, to verifying the parking lot, restrooms, surrounding lighting conditions, emergency plans for rainy days, and the status of nearby subways and buses, all of this is handled by the check-in team, and it all requires advance site visits. If hikers seek help along the way, the check-in team is responsible for contacting the emergency response team.
Funding sources and usage
One person manages the finances, with hundreds of people jointly supervising
It’s hard to imagine that for such a large-scale event, the person managing the finances is actually a non-professional.
"Hanxin" (online alias) works in operations at a company. In 2008, she participated in the 100-kilometer hike for the first time and still can’t forget the scene: volunteers along the route kept cheering everyone on, and even though they were strangers, they would offer a piece of fruit at crucial moments.
She originally thought that hiking such long distances was something she’d only do once, but she discovered on Mofang (a hiking community platform) that each edition of the event required many people to do preparatory work. "Should I become someone who can help others too?" After much thought, she started volunteering while also participating in the hikes. Because of her high work efficiency, she became the financial manager for the 100-kilometer hike last year.
"Hanxin" said that the finance work is actually quite "simple"—it involves referring to the expenditure items from the previous two years, planning some of the needs, routes, and approximate expenses for this event, especially considering what needs improvement this year and what items can be used long-term. The preliminary financial work began about four months ago, using evenings and weekends for preparation.
Emergency Response
Volunteers receive systematic training to ensure smooth communication and safety
The top priority of the 100-kilometer hike isn’t environmental protection—it’s safety. The emergency response team is specifically dedicated to handling unexpected incidents.
During this year’s event: a 9-year-old girl went missing on the OCT East section, but volunteers reunited her with her mother in just one hour. The head of the emergency team, nicknamed “Waiting Alone” (online alias), said this incident best demonstrated the strong coordination among volunteers: Ms. Luo first reported her daughter missing at the OCT East check-in point, and the check-in volunteers relayed the information to the emergency dispatch command center. Volunteer teams ahead then used loudspeakers to broadcast descriptions of the girl’s appearance and clothing. Soon, a volunteer stationed along the route spotted the girl, kept her there, and after confirming with the mother by phone, the volunteer comforted the child. In less than an hour, mother and daughter were reunited.
According to “Waiting Alone,” there have been no major emergencies during the annual events, but common issues include blisters, falls, and heatstroke. Most checkpoints have volunteer doctors or nurses, enabling relatively professional treatment. This year, on the Dameisha section, a hiker suddenly turned pale and nearly fainted halfway through. Volunteers assessed that it might be physical exhaustion and advised immediate hospitalization. Mobile volunteers then drove the hiker to Dameisha Hospital in their private car. Thanks to the prompt medical attention, the hiker recovered quickly.
This year, the biggest challenge for the emergency team came from changing weather conditions, with some checkpoints experiencing two or three heavy rains at different times. Around 12 noon on March 24, volunteers monitoring the Shenzhen Meteorological Bureau’s website predicted heavy rain within the next half to one hour. As a result, volunteers at the OCT check-in point advised hikers to wait until the rain passed before heading up the mountain. Many volunteers temporarily helped maintain order so hikers could take shelter from the storm. “Waiting Alone” said that on a section of the road in Old Wei Village at Maluan Mountain, poor communication signals made it difficult for volunteers to stay in touch. Some had to run several kilometers to find a signal, while others walked around to stay connected—covering dozens of kilometers just moving back and forth.
For emergency team volunteers, the Mafang website has a comprehensive training system. Free training courses begin two to three months before the event, with up to two or three sessions per week at peak times. “The courses cover first aid, emergency response, incident handling, and medical bandaging—just basic knowledge. The main idea is that we rescuers are not doctors or saviors. What we do on-site is coordinate, provide reassurance, secure the area, and disperse crowds. Of course, we can also perform simple bandaging,” said Michael, a former emergency team volunteer.
Without commercial sponsorship, where does the funding come from? “Hanxin” explained that the annual event’s budget comes from souvenir sales, priced based on production costs. For example, this year, thousands of T-shirts, scarves, and hats were sold. After deducting costs, the funds raised totaled thirty to forty thousand yuan, which were used to make signs, check-in cards, tents, and more. Any leftover funds are allocated to Mafang’s public welfare activities, such as mountain clean-ups and outdoor safety campaigns.
“Like last year, most of the surplus funds went to the mountain clean-up campaign, with a small portion reserved as seed money for this year’s event. The current event has just ended, and some items remain unsettled, but everything will be wrapped up within a week after the event.” The work done by “Hanxin” will be publicly disclosed in the 100-kilometer preparation section of the Mafang Forum’s internal circle. This preparation section has two to three hundred members, all key figures or volunteers from past events. Every expense and financial report is supervised by these individuals, ensuring transparent income and expenditure and increasing public trust in the event.
External Communication
Public security authorities proactively reached out, forming a rare mutual understanding
“Agu” (online alias), who handles external liaison, said that the 100-kilometer hike has grown to such a large scale today—even becoming a shining emblem of Shenzhen—thanks to “a kind of mutual understanding we’ve reached with the government.”
“Agu” is definitely a “veteran hiker.” Before the 100-kilometer hike even existed, he had already explored every corner of Shenzhen. In recent years, he has mainly been responsible for external liaison work, coordinating with the government—a task he shares with a few other netizens.
“We never reached out to the government first—they came to us,” said “Agu” bluntly and succinctly. “In the earlier editions, the scale wasn’t very big, and things went quietly without catching the government’s attention. Around 2005 or 2006, I can’t remember exactly, more people started joining, and many passed by Ludan Village. The police noticed us and wondered what all these people were gathering for, so they approached us for a chat. After learning about our event, they thought it was great and didn’t interfere.” The following year, the 100-kilometer hike resumed with even more participants, and the public security bureau proactively sent officers to help maintain order. Over time, the two sides established contact.
“Agu” mentioned that some had suggested applying for approval from relevant departments, but there was no clear channel. “For large-scale events involving twenty to thirty thousand people, city-level departments may not have the authority to approve them—it might need to go higher up, and that could introduce uncertainties.” Therefore, every year before the event begins, “Agu” visits a few key offices to inform them, simply saying, “We’re doing the 100-kilometer hike again,” and that’s enough.