Panda Trail by UTMB turns into ‘enjoyable’ mudfest as China trail running continues to return to normal post-Covid-19 restrictions
- The famous French brand hosts a race in China’s Sichuan province, with conditions better suited to digging than running
- Runners have to provide a negative test within a week of the race, but few other restrictions are imposed
Panda Trail by Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) took place this weekend in Sichuan province, China, in cold and mud-soaked conditions.
The Panda Trail event, held in Qingcheng mountain in Dujiangyan city, was another sign of a return to normal in China. There were 2,700 runners across four distances: 100 miles (160km), 106km, 49km and 26km.
“Now in China, the situation is quite good,” said Daniel Perez Fernandez, a Shenzhen-based Spaniard who came sixth in the 106km event. “We need masks in some places, like public transport, but not everywhere. It’s quite normal.
“For this race, we needed to provide a test within a week. I asked if I could do it eight days out, but they said ‘no’. It is the policy. But apart from that, there is nothing special.”
The organisers administered temperature checks and required masks at the bib collection.
Perez Fernandez, who has lived in Shenzhen for 11 years, usually bases his summer training around going to France for the original UTMB event. Last year, he was in the top 100 at the UTMB in France, before he took a wrong turn. He hoped to rectify that mistake, but with all the races cancelled due to Covid-19, he had nothing to aim for.
His last proper race was exactly a year ago, at the UTMB’s event in Oman, apart from starting the HK100 in January, which he never planned to finish as he was carrying an injury. He has regularly raced in Hong Kong since 2013, before Covid-19 restrictions cancelled almost all events.
“To have the opportunity to run a race like this, I feel very lucky,” he said, adding that the course profile and terrain was similar to the CCC. The field was stacked with some of China’s top runners, including Wang Zhihu, winner of the Run Guizhou League Finals 2019 – Luodian 50km.
“The field was quite competitive. There were seven people with over 800 ITRA points, so they are professional. To be in the top six is something I must be proud of.”
Yang Guangmei (15:23:03) was the first woman home and has 695 ITRA points, followed by Zhou Liting (15:58:48), 580 points, and Li Xin (16:25:42), 759 points.
The race was difficult due to the torrid conditions.
“The main thing was it was so muddy,” Perez Ferenadez said. “The 160km was the day before and we passed over the same trails. You can imagine how it was. It was more difficult than CCC because of the mud.
“On the last section, I was using the poles and it was like digging. The poles would disappear in the mud and by the end the legs were totally gone. You go one step forward and two steps back as it was so slippery, it was a funny experience.
He said he far prefers the cold conditions to the heat of Shenzhen or Hong Kong, where three or four hours of running in humidity results in cramp.
“The weather was terrible. There was snow at the top of the mountains, but I enjoyed it a lot.”
