China News Service, Xifeng, Guizhou, March 24 (Reporter Pu Wensi) On the 23rd, the 2024 Run Guizhou Mountain Running Series (Xifeng Station), the Run Guiyang Series and the 6th Xiwangshan Cross-Country Running Challenge were held in Qianmu The competition started in Luwo Village, Xishan Town, Xifeng County, where rapeseed flowers were in full bloom. 1,048 players from Guizhou, Guangdong, Yunnan, Chongqing and other places participated.
The 6th Xiwangshan Cross-Country Running Challenge started. Photo courtesy of the event organizing committee
The Xiwangshan Cross-Country Running Challenge started in 2016 and is the first cross-country running event in Guizhou Province to obtain ITRA (International Cross-Country Running Association) points certification. After years of development, the competition has become a famous business card of Xifeng.
With the theme of "asking about the path of Zen, running towards the mountains, purifying the mind and keeping one's mind, and realizing the path to enlightenment", this event has men's and women's individual races, respectively, with a 51-kilometer "Path-keeping Group" and a 35-kilometer "Keeping the Mind" group. There are four competition categories: 21-kilometer "Purifying Heart Group" and 8-kilometer "Ask Zen Group". The closing times are 12 hours, 9 hours, 6 hours, and 2.5 hours respectively.
Family contestants travel through rapeseed fields. Photo courtesy of the event organizing committee
The event combines the unique terrain, climate and culture of Xiwang Mountain, combining natural beauty with sports. This event further optimizes the track setting - the track is a cross-country running experience route that integrates flower viewing, secluded scenery, visiting ancient times, and fitness. It connects the eight major scenic spots and 24 small sceneries of Xiwang Mountain, allowing runners to fully appreciate Xiwangshan’s natural scenery, sea of flowers and spring scenery, cultural relics and rural customs.
Competitors enter the forest road. Photo courtesy of the event organizing committee
There are 5 supply stations and 2 water stations along the race route, providing hot food, energy and other supplies. At the same time, 9 medical stations, 5 ambulances, 10 outdoor professional rescuers, 115 volunteers from campuses in Xifeng County, and nearly 200 public security and traffic police security personnel have been set up to ensure medical and rescue services as soon as possible. Ensure player safety to the greatest extent possible.
At 8 o'clock, the competition started on time. More than a thousand runners set off from the Luwo Village Cultural Square at the foot of Xiwang Mountain and walked through the rapeseed fields toward the mountain. Xiwang Mountain, known as "the first Buddhist mountain in the South", is 12 kilometers away from Xifeng County, with a total area of 94 square kilometers, an altitude of more than 1,200 meters, and a forest coverage rate of 80%. During the competition, the contestants chased each other in the mountains, passing through fields, villages, mountains, canyons and dense forests, getting close to nature and relaxing body and mind.
Competitors travel through jungle trails. Photo courtesy of the event organizing committee
While the athletes were climbing over the mountains and running heartily, several paragliders took off from the gliding flight base on the back hill of Luwo Village, flying over and circling over the sea of flowers, attracting tourists to stop and watch... Based on the "Xiwang Mountain" Cross-Country Running Challenge" event IP, roadside concerts, low-altitude paragliding experiences, flower viewing outings, agricultural specialty product exhibitions and other supporting activities were also held that day, continuing to expand the influence of the event. The atmosphere at the event was warm, with constant applause and cheers, and visitors' sense of participation and experience continued to increase.
Paragliding experience activities. Photo courtesy of the event organizing committee
After fierce competition, contestant Wang Jinhai won the first place in the men's 51-kilometer "Zhidao Group", contestants Yuan Xinfu and Huang Wei won the second and third places respectively, contestant An Qin won the first place in the women's "Zhidao Group", contestants Wang Yuqin and Wang Xin The top three men in the 35-kilometer "Shou Zhi Group" were won by Zhao Chengfei, Wang Zhihu, and Lin Kexian respectively. The top three women in the "Shou Zhi Group" were won by Wang Aili, Luo Xiuqiong, and Jiang Dongmei respectively; Contestants Li Wenjie, Yuan Huaide, and Yang Chunzheng respectively won the top three men's in the 21-kilometer "Pure Heart Group", and contestants Ren Ti, Li Zhilu, and Xiao Jiaju respectively ranked among the top three women in the "Purify Heart Group".
Contestants sprint. Photo by Pu Wensi
"I especially like cross-country running. Ordinary road running is relatively boring. Cross-country running involves climbing mountains and crossing rivers. Like today, there are seas of rapeseed flowers and jungle trails. The mood of running is very different." 51 kilometers to Wang Jinhai, the No. 1 male in the "Tao Group", laughed after the race: "When I ran 30 kilometers, I wanted to stop and take a picture of the spring bracken growing luxuriantly on the roadside."
Agricultural products are on display at the competition site. Photo by Pu Wensi
Wang Aili, the first female winner in the 35-kilometer "Shouzhi Group", has participated in many Xiwangshan cross-country running events. She said: "The track is very challenging and the experience is great. There are organic cultivated roads and hardened roads in the woods. Most of the time I run on dirt roads, and overall there are more 'technical roads'. In addition, the entire track has a cumulative climb of more than 2,000 meters. This accumulation of climbing volume is very helpful for cross-country endurance training."
This event is hosted by the Guizhou Provincial Sports Bureau and hosted by the Guiyang Municipal Sports Bureau, the Xifeng County Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the Xifeng County People's Government. (over)