On Oct. 2, 2025, Chinese trail running brand Kailas Fuga and event organizer Letour Sports hosted the first-ever Kailas Fuga Gongga 100 Extreme Glacier Challenge in Ganzi, Sichuan province. The race, set at the base of the 7,500-meter Mount Gongga, brought 1,000 runners to one of China’s most remote glacier regions, previously closed to the public.
After seven years of preparation involving local authorities and communities, the event opened the Hailuogou Glacier area for a high-altitude trail race with distances of 30 km, 55 km and 100 km. The most challenging route ascended to 4,100 meters, with sections across glacier terrain.
“This is just the beginning,” said Baggio Zhong, founder and product director at Kailas. “We aim for Gongga 100 to become one of the world’s premier races.”
Runners from seven countries participated, including American athlete Bryon Powell, who called the experience “more than a race,” highlighting the cultural and scenic immersion.
Kailas also introduced the DU2 GTX trail shoe, developed for icy, rocky and muddy terrain. The event highlights China’s growing ambitions in hosting international endurance events and utilizing sports as a catalyst for tourism in remote regions.
