Ultra-Trail Mount Yun by UTMB made its debut in the UTMB World Series this year with three race categories: 100k, 50k, and 20k.
Taking place in the Chinese province of Shanxi, it provides greater opportunities for athletes from China and surrounding areas to qualify for the UTMB World Series Finals and the elusive Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.
DMY 100k Top-Three Clinch Their Spot At UTMB CCC
The 100k race would take runners through various historical sites in the local area, including the Five Dragon Palace. The race would feature 4596m of positive elevation, with the race’s highest point within the first 15k.
On the men’s side, Guidu Qin would be the first to cross the line after completing the course in 10:35:37. Following 12 minutes behind was Min Qi, who clocked a time of 10:47:27. Rounding out the top three for the men’s 100k was Mengkai Bate coming in with a time of 10:58:11.
In the women’s race, Meiling Xu would be the first across the line and 10th overall, with a time of 12:28:37. She won the race in dominant style, with her closest competitor finishing over one hour behind.
Huarong Fu was the second woman to finish and 13th overall with a time of 13:31:47. Xianfeng Zhang would complete the top three and placed 14th overall after completing the course in 13:46:18.
The top three Chinese athletes from the men’s and women’s 100k races automatically qualified for UTMB CCC at the UTMB World Series Final.
Battle For UTMB OCC Spots In MMY 50k
Athletes taking on the 50k race would have to negotiate 2718m of positive elevation, with the highest point coming in the first 13k.
The top three finishers in the men’s and women’s races would automatically qualify for UTMB OCC next year.
It was a close race at the front, but Jiasheng Shen would ultimately win in 4:28:00. Tao Luo was close behind, completing the challenging course just over a minute behind in 4:29:05. Rounding out the men’s top three was Huohua Zhang, who would cross the line in 4:35:00.
In the women’s competition, Na Zhang prevailed victorious, placing 10th overall after finishing in 5:33:19. Five minutes behind was second-placed Anna Li, placing 12th overall, with a time of 5:38:30. Completing the podium was Na Chen in third, placing 17th overall, completing the course in 6:06:01.
Convincing Wins In EMY 20k
The 20k race would challenge runners with 1359m of positive elevation and two prominent climbs.
Taking first place in the men’s 20k race was Guangfu Meng, the only runner to clock under two hours. He completed the race in 1:59:35. Guolong Wang would take second with a time of 2:05:15. Rounding out the top three was Zongyan Jiang in 2:09:07.
Wenrong Zheng won in convincing fashion in the women’s race with a ten-minute gap to second place. She took first place and 12th overall after crossing the line in 2:34:59.
Yonghua She was second among the women and 14th overall, finishing in 2:44:42. Wenli Jiang completed the women’s podium and placed 16th overall with a time of 2:49:12.
With Ultra-Trail Mount Yen now in the UTMB World Series, it opens a unique opportunity to develop the sport in China and increase its professionalism. Race organizers look forward to welcoming more international runners in the years to come.
