2026 Hood to Coast China Zhangjiakou leg concludes 10th edition with record participation

2026 Hood to Coast China Zhangjiakou leg wrapped up its 10th anniversary edition on June 14 in Zhangjiakou, with 1,200 teams and 6,000 runners from 10 countries taking part - the largest field in the event's history since it launched in China in 2017.

The race started at 8 pm on June 12 in Zhangbei county. Teams of five runners and one vehicle rotated through 16 exchange zones over a total course of 142.6 kilometers of running, plus an additional 21 kilometers of driving sections. The route followed the scenic grassland ridgeline of Zhangbei and finished at the National Ski Jumping Centre, known as "Snow Ruyi," a landmark venue from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Chongli county.

The first three finishers were timed at 8 hours 26 minutes and 49 seconds, 8:44:24 and 9:00:02. respectively. The final team crossed the finish line at 2 am on June 14.

This year's race introduced several new features. For the first time, individual leg times were made available to participants, with each runner's bib equipped with a personal timing chip and custom name printing. An award was launched to recognize teams whose actual finish times fell within 30 minutes of their predictions, granting them automatic entry to the 2027 event.

One of the more talked-about entries this year was the "Five Stars, One Heart" team, which brought together five Chinese Olympic gold medalists - Wang Junxia (1996 Atlanta, women's 5000m), Wang Liping (2000 Sydney, women's 20km racewalking), Chen Ding (2012 London, men's 20km racewalking), Qieyang Shijie (2012 London, women's 20km racewalking) and Liu Hong (2016 Rio, women's 20km racewalking) - across four Olympic Games and three decades. They competed under a single team number and completed the relay together, reinforcing the event's long‑standing emphasis on teamwork over individual achievement.

Over the past decade, the event has directly influenced more than 500,000 runners and walkers across China. With backing from the local government, the relay has expanded into a platform for local cultural promotion, incorporating intangible heritage displays, folk performances and farmers' markets at race venues.

Behind the scenes, the event relied on a support network of more than 2,000 personnel, including volunteers and rescue team members, with coordination from local authorities covering security, traffic, medical and communication services.