As the breathtaking snow-capped mountains and alpine forests of Tibet returned in full splendor this June, Mount Namjagbarwa once again stood watch over a journey of courage and endurance. From June 5 to June 7, the 2026 CHANDO Himalaya Extreme Trail Race successfully concluded in Lulang Town, Nyingchi, Tibet.
As one of China's highest-altitude, most scenic, and most challenging trail running events, this year's race continued to embody its core spirit of "The Wilder the Trail, The Closer to Nature." Runners from across the country gathered in the Himalayas to measure the extremes of nature with their footsteps and engage in a dialogue with the wilderness through sheer determination.
The event was hosted by the People's Government of Nyingchi, organized by the Nyingchi Education Bureau, Nyingchi Culture and Tourism Bureau, and the People's Government of Bayi District, and title-sponsored by China's leading beauty brand CHANDO, fulfilling a summit-level promise on the Third Pole of the Earth.
Elite Athletes Gather for Annual Honors
This year's event featured three race categories:
Nature's Secret Realm 10KM
Breakthrough Challenge 35KM
Conquer the Summit 55KM
Nearly 1,000 runners traveled from across China to Lulang, Nyingchi to participate in this premier trail running event. China's top trail-running athletes, including Zhao Hu, Li Song, Luo Ping, and Zhang Ting, competed fiercely across the high-altitude courses that traversed snow-capped mountains, river valleys, alpine forests, and mountain pastures. From misty dawn to sunset among the peaks, competition remained intense throughout, producing countless memorable moments.
Following two days of exciting competition, athletes in the Conquer the Summit 55KM category crossed mountain passes, traversed ancient forests, and ran along the shores of Gongcuo Lake, facing challenges including high-altitude oxygen deprivation and rapidly changing plateau weather conditions while experiencing the grandeur of the Himalayan landscape firsthand. In the men's division, trail runner Zi Juwei from Yunnan crossed the finish line first with a time of 4:42:22, claiming the championship title. Luobu finished second with 4:59:01, while He Fujun secured third place.
The women's competition was equally captivating. Yunnan trail runner Zheng Wenrong maintained a consistently strong performance throughout the race and successfully defended her title, winning the women's championship in 6:11:28. Danzeng Quzhen and Wang Hongwei finished second and third with times of 6:34:23 and 6:54:35, respectively.
In the remaining categories, Geng Yaba, Shi Kaijin, and Wang Wei claimed the top three positions in the men's Breakthrough Challenge 35KM, while Ren Ti, Luo Ping, and Ouyang Qiong secured the top three spots in the women's division. Yang Chengxiang and Yang Xiaoxia won the men's and women's championships, respectively, in the Nature's Secret Realm 10KM category.
Comprehensive Upgrades Create a New Plateau Trail Running Experience
As title sponsor, CHANDO implemented comprehensive upgrades across participant scale, course design, and on-site experiences to deliver a higher-quality event experience and significantly elevate the overall race standard. This year's participant capacity expanded from more than 400 runners in 2025 to nearly 1,000 entrants, allowing more outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to stand on the starting line of the world's Third Pole. For the Conquer the Summit 55KM category, a new wilderness ridgeline trail section was added, further expanding the challenge level for elite athletes. For the Breakthrough Challenge 35KM, overall elevation gain was significantly reduced, helping participants build greater confidence in completing the race. The redesigned courses allowed runners of all levels to experience the diverse and multidimensional landscapes of the Himalayas.
To create a more distinctive event atmosphere, CHANDO integrated Hanhan Mouse, a member of its proprietary Snow Mountain Guardians IP family, throughout key event touchpoints, accompanying runners as they challenged themselves and pushed beyond their limits. On race packet pickup day, Hanhan Mouse became a popular photo companion at the official portrait area. The character also appeared on race bibs, participant kits, course installations, and interactive stations throughout the venue. Additionally, a Prayer Flag Wish Wall was created within the event village, allowing runners to write down their race goals and personal wishes while engaging with the unique cultural traditions of the region. The "Naturally Photogenic" Art Installation embodied the concept of "people and nature reflecting one another," seamlessly blending natural aesthetics with trail-running culture and creating memorable moments for participants to capture and share.
Scenario-Based Marketing Helps Glacier Oil-Control Series Break into Outdoor Sports Communities
During the event, the CHANDO Men Glacier Oil-Control Series centered its activation around the campaign theme: "Stay Fresh Through Every Mile, Oil Control On the Move."
Leveraging the professional high-altitude trail-running environment alongside the 618 shopping festival conversion period, CHANDO successfully connected online and offline touchpoints to create a full-funnel marketing ecosystem and expand its presence within outdoor sports communities.
Deep Co-Creation with Outdoor Influencers
CHANDO partnered with outdoor lifestyle creators and sports influencers to develop immersive trail-running experiences centered around the Glacier Oil-Control product line, strengthening CHANDO Men's association with outdoor and athletic lifestyles.
Connecting City Running and Trail Running Communities
Aligned with the race itself, CHANDO partnered with the Codoon App to launch the CHANDO Himalaya Extreme Trail Race (City Edition), allowing every kilometer completed by urban runners to become part of the same spirit of challenge shared by trail runners.
This initiative broke geographic barriers and extended the influence of a highly specialized, high-threshold trail-running event to a broader running community, expanding brand exposure and amplifying event awareness.
Experiential Marketplace and Consumption Conversion
Taking advantage of the offline event environment, CHANDO partnered with JD.com to create a multifunctional branded experience zone featuring:
Trend-focused photo opportunities
Free product sampling
Core product displays
Live-streaming experiences
These activations deepened scenario-based consumer engagement and strengthened connections between the brand and sports enthusiasts.
The vitality and natural energy of the Lulang race venue were transformed into compelling online content, while the timing of JD.com's 618 promotional campaign and Beauty Super Brand Day traffic resources further enhanced conversion performance on the platform.
High-Fiving the Wind, Reuniting with Nature at the Summit
After crossing the finish line, runners gathered at CHANDO's "High-Five the Wind" installation to capture commemorative moments and celebrate their achievements.
The conclusion of the race is not the end—it marks the beginning of the next journey between CHANDO and thousands of runners who continue to seek new adventures in the mountains and wilderness.
As a natural high-tech beauty brand inspired by the Himalayan sanctuary, CHANDO continues to draw creative inspiration from the Himalayas while using sporting events to communicate the values of self-challenge, perseverance, and respect for nature.
The snow-covered mountains await the return of the brave.
CHANDO looks forward to reuniting with runners from around the world on the peaks of the Himalayas once again, continuing the promise that the wilder the trail, the closer to nature.
