China Runs to the Trail
Published with The North Face and Salomon Running, 2018-2024
In the mid-2010s, when trail running was just beginning to become a global phenomenon, no Chinese runner had ever stood on the great international race podiums. But by the end of the decade, everything began to change. Emerging alongside the general boom of outdoor sports in China, Chinese trail runners began to take to the international stage and shake up a sport that had once been nearly exclusively dominated by North American and European athletes.
Now, Chinese trail runners are a force of their own. They have shattered records, won some of the world’s biggest races, and continue to push the sport to higher levels of competition and participation. Since the beginning of their emergence on the global stage, I have had the honor and privilege to follow some of the nation’s best as they journey across the world to prove that they are capable of competing at the highest level, across the highest mountains.
This is a glimpse into their world.
