GUIYANG – After 65 hours, 55 minutes and 22 seconds on his feet, Zhao Jiaju crossed the finish line in Courmayeur in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, local time in Italy.
The athlete from Southwest China's Guizhou province claimed the overall championship in the 330-kilometer category of Italy's Tor des Geants (TOR) ultra-trail race. He became the first Chinese and the first Asian runner to win the title since the event's inception, breaking the race record by a full 13 minutes.
Tor des Geants is one of the world's premier ultra-long-distance trail-running events. Its course stretches across the Alps, passing major peaks, including Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa. The course covers 336.1 kilometers in total and features over 24,000 meters of cumulative elevation gain, equivalent to roughly three times the height of Mount Everest.
Over the grueling race, athletes must endure drastic day and night temperature swings, rugged mountain terrain, low temperatures, high-altitude reactions and extreme wind and rain. The event imposes a 150-hour cutoff time with no mandatory rest periods. Sustained high-intensity exertion throughout the race puts extreme demands on competitors' physical reserves, mental fortitude and on-the-spot judgement.
Zhao displayed extraordinary endurance and astute race tactics throughout the arduous contest. He did not stop at his first checkpoint until he had run for 35 hours and 42 minutes, with only around 20 minutes of actual sleep. He adopted a fragmented-sleep strategy, grabbing roughly 10-minute naps at each checkpoint before pressing on. Across the full 336.1-kilometer course, his total sleep time amounted to only about one hour.
After the race, Zhao admitted that the latter half of the competition was so agonizing, it felt "almost unbearable". Suffering from body aches and blurred vision, he had pushed his body to its absolute physical limit and only managed to reach the finish line through sheer willpower.
Born in February 1995 in Guizhou, Zhao was formerly a delivery rider who loved martial arts. In 2014, he learned about trail running from a street advertisement in Hangzhou, developed a keen interest in the sport, and revealed a natural talent for long-distance running.
This championship was no fluke; it was the payoff for years of hard-won progress and breakthroughs. His journey in endurance sports began during his ordinary and sometimes difficult days as a food delivery worker.
While working as a delivery rider, he built up his stamina and speed by running to make deliveries and started taking part in marathons. At 22, he moved on to long-distance trail-running competitions. By the age of 26, he had become the runner with the highest ITRA (International Trail Running Association) points in Asia.
In July this year, he won the 168-kilometer category of the Chongli 168 Super-Trail Race in 19 hours, one minute and 32 seconds, breaking his own track record set six years earlier and earning himself the title of four-time champion of Chongli 168.
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In September last year, Zhao took part in Tor des Geants for the first time, but was forced to withdraw at the 203.8-kilometer aid station after running out of energy. At that time, he vowed, "I will be back."
This year's 330-kilometer Tor des Geants marked Zhao's second attempt on this "devil's course". One year later, he kept his promise and made a triumphant return as champion.
Having conquered the "Giant's Journey" and stood atop this ultimate challenge, Zhao has even greater ambitions. Alongside competing in more races, he hopes to inspire more people through the spirit of trail running and encourage more to take up sport.
"I hope my story can motivate more people and give everyone the resolve to forge ahead bravely," he said.
