Xinzhou’s Most Beautiful Road
2018 China Mountain Marathon Series – “Washi Cup” Wuhan Xinzhou Station & National Annual Finals Kicks Off
“Beep…” At 9:00 a.m. on December 2, as the starting gun sounded, the 2018 China Mountain Marathon Series – “Washi Cup” Wuhan Xinzhou Station and National Annual Finals began at the Square of Wenjin Academy in Xinzhou District, Wuhan. Following a lead by five Olympic champions including Tao Luna, nearly 3,000 participants ran through the light rain and mist along the “most beautiful road” in eastern Wuhan — the Red Tourism Highway in the mountainous areas of Xinzhou. They climbed hills and trekked along the route, fully unleashing their athletic passion. This marked the first time the event was held in Wuhan.
This race was the final leg of the 10-stop 2018 China Mountain Marathon Series. The event was jointly organized by the Chinese Mountaineering Association and the Hubei Provincial Sports Federation, and hosted by the Wuhan Municipal Sports Bureau, Wuhan Municipal Tourism Commission, and the People’s Government of Xinzhou District. It was exclusively operated by Beijing Nantianxing Sports Industry Development Co., Ltd. It is reported that the China Mountain Marathon Series is a national-level mountain marathon event approved by the General Administration of Sport of China and launched in 2016. It is the most authoritative domestic mountain marathon competition.
Five Olympic Champions Lead the Run
On the day of the event, Wu Qi, Chairman of the Chinese Sports Foundation and former Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee, declared the race open. Zhao Lihong, Deputy Secretary of the Xinzhou District Party Committee and District Chief, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. Wang Yongfeng, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Mountaineering Association and internationally renowned mountaineer, attended the opening ceremony and was invited to lead the run. Li Wenmao, Head of the New Projects Department of the Chinese Mountaineering Association, Wang Shenshun, Director of the Wuhan Municipal Sports Bureau, as well as relevant leaders from the Hubei Provincial Sports Bureau, Wuhan Municipal Sports Bureau, and Wuhan Municipal Tourism Commission, Wei Jiuming, Director of the Standing Committee of the Xinzhou District People’s Congress, and leaders from the Xinzhou District Party Committee, District People’s Congress, District Government, District CPPCC, and Beijing Nantianxing Sports Industry Development Co., Ltd. were also present.
Zhao Lihong, Deputy Secretary of the Xinzhou District Party Committee and District Chief, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony. Photo by Qiu Xinming
The day’s competition, themed “Run Towards the Mountains, an Extraordinary Journey,” featured three events: a 42-kilometer individual mountain marathon, a 21-kilometer individual mountain marathon, and a 10-kilometer mass fitness race. Five Olympic champions — Tao Luna, shooting champion at the 2000 Sydney Olympics; Zheng Lihui, men’s gymnastics team champion at the 2000 Sydney Olympics; He Kexin, women’s uneven bars and women’s gymnastics team champion at the 2008 Beijing Olympics; He Wenna, trampoline champion at the 2008 Beijing Olympics; and Li Shanshan, women’s gymnastics team champion at the 2008 Beijing Olympics — were invited to lead the runners. Nearly 3,000 participants came from multiple provinces including Yunnan, Guizhou, Fujian, Henan, and Guangdong, as well as various cities and prefectures within Hubei Province.
Mountain “Most Beautiful Road” Becomes the Race Route Participants Enjoy the “Most Scenic” Views Along the Way
The red tourism highway, serving as the main route of the race, traverses the mountainous areas of eastern Xinzhou. With its lush greenery and picturesque landscapes, it connects multiple scenic spots in a string of pearls, earning the title of the “most beautiful road” in eastern Wuhan.
As they ran along the route, participants started from Wenjin Academy, named after the historical anecdote “Confucius Sent Zilu to Ask the Ferry,” then passed by the beautiful Shaotan River, the lion-shaped Shiziyan Rock, the idyllic and poetic Dawushan Mountain, the Chenglouzhai Fort built during the Taiping Rebellion, and the Daojiaohe Scenic Area known for its extraordinary mountains and clear waters. Whether running towards the mountains or following the waterways, the shifting scenery provided delightful views at every turn.
Olympic champions He Kexin and Li Shanshan praised the environment along the race route, saying, “The air is fantastic.” Li Shanshan, who is from Huangshi, Hubei, mentioned that her grandparents are from Xinzhou. She had visited Xinzhou often before and felt that the area has changed greatly. The roads are well-built, and she was very happy to be invited to participate in this event.
The finish line of the 42-kilometer individual race was at the Daojiaohe Scenic Tourism Area, known as an excellent place for meditation and self-cultivation amid breathtaking scenery. The entire scenic area consists of 72 elegant peaks and one vast artificial lake. The crystal-clear waters and rolling waves create a picturesque landscape of lake and mountain views. There are over 20 scenic spots within the area, including the famous Chu Tian Buddhist Temple Baoyuan Temple, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda, Bao’anzhai Forest Park, the Unique Stone Ox, and the Hongyang Tree.
The Chenglouzhai Tianxiang Tea Garden Auto Campsite was the finish line for the 21-kilometer individual race. This area boasts beautiful mountains and rivers, a pleasant climate, and a long history of tea cultivation. “Chenglouzhai Tea” has won numerous awards at both the provincial and national levels.
In the day’s events, the 42-kilometer individual race had a cumulative elevation gain of over 1,000 meters. The 21-kilometer individual race had a cumulative elevation gain of 600 meters. The 10-kilometer mass fitness race had a cumulative elevation gain of 240 meters. Hundreds of professional marathon athletes participated in both the 42-kilometer and 21-kilometer individual races.
After intense competition, Wang Tao from Gansu Province won the men’s first place in the 42-kilometer individual race with a time of 2 hours, 35 minutes, and 51 seconds. Zhang Kaiqin from Yunnan Province claimed the women’s first place in the 42-kilometer individual race with a time of 3 hours, 1 minute, and 46 seconds. Xiao Zuohua from Hubei Province took the men’s first place in the 21-kilometer individual race with a time of 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 19 seconds, while Zhang Na from Liaoning Province won the women’s first place in the 21-kilometer individual race with a time of 1 hour, 40 minutes, and 28 seconds.
The men’s first place in the 2018 China Mountain Marathon Annual Finals was won by Luo Tao from Guizhou Province, and the women’s first place was claimed by Yang Guangmei from Guizhou Province.
Wang Tao, the first-place male finisher in the 42km individual race, is currently a senior at Northwest Normal University. He said, "It was cold and rainy today, but running felt amazing. The competition was intense — I was almost neck and neck with the second and third place runners the whole way. Only 200 meters before the finish arch did I manage to break away and win. The Xinzhou course is beautiful, with relatively less climbing, which is quite similar to my current marathon training focus. Next year, I hope to compete in several more mountain marathon legs."
It is reported that Xinzhou District is located in the northeastern part of Wuhan, on the northern bank of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, serving as the “water and land gateway” to the eastern part of Wuhan. The district covers an area of 1,500.66 square kilometers, with a registered population of 987,000.
In recent years, the development of “One Port and Three Cities” in Xinzhou — including Yangluo International Port, Aerospace New City, Yangluo New City, and Wenjin New City — has been accelerating. Yangluo International Port is the only natural deep-water port on the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River. On July 21, 2013, during his inspection of Yangluo Port, General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly called for transforming the entire Yangtze River basin into a “golden waterway.” Since then, both domestic and international attention has focused on Xinzhou Yangluo. Today, Yangluo International Port has grown into the container terminal with the highest throughput on the upper and middle Yangtze, ranking among the world’s top inland river ports and serving as an outlet to the sea for central and western provinces.
The Wuhan National Space Industry Base, located in Xinzhou’s Aerospace New City, is China’s first commercial space industry base. The settlement of related industries centered around the aerospace sector has been strong, and a modern industrial new city with initial scale, high-quality infrastructure, and excellent conditions for living and working is rapidly emerging.
Xinzhou is also known as the “Hometown of Construction,” “Hometown of Education,” “Hometown of Mushrooms,” “Hometown of Philanthropy,” and “Hometown of Folk Arts.” The district boasts excellent ecological conditions, enjoying the best air quality in Wuhan.