The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), often hailed as the "Olympics of Trail Running," has been held annually in France from August to September since its inception in 2003. It is regarded as a "must-attend" event for global trail runners.
The UTMB World Series Finals in France require participants to earn qualification points through global qualifying races. Currently, there are 45 UTMB series events worldwide, 5 in China.
On March 1, 2025, the UTMB World Series made its debut in the Free Trade Zone of Tong’an, Xiamen. As China’s first UTMB event of 2025, the race drew widespread attention from trail running enthusiasts, attracting 4,800 participants from 41 countries and regions. Among them, 723 were international runners (16.19%), while 80% of domestic participants hailed from outside Fujian Province.
The War Horse Xiamen (Tong’an) Trail Race by UTMB® started and finished at Fantian Cultural Plaza, featuring four race categories: 100km, 50km, 20km, and 8km. The event drew over a dozen elite athletes, including Chinese stars Zhao Jiaju, Qi Min, Duoji, and Xiang Fuzhao, as well as international competitors, amplifying the race’s intensity and global appeal.
As the title sponsor, War Horse—an energy vitamin drink brand under China’s Reignwood Group, a prominent enterprise recently settled in Xiamen’s Free Trade Zone—launched large-scale on-site promotional campaigns through the cooperation between the branding center and Fujian branch.
War Horse has long supported sports development, particularly in running events amid the growing popularity of marathons and trail running nationwide.
By sponsoring this UTMB event, War Horse aimed to broaden access to international-level competitions for runners while enhancing its brand visibility and promoting its running culture.
The challenging nature of trail running—requiring endurance across complex terrain and prolonged physical exertion—aligned with War Horse’s mission to provide sustained energy. The brand ensured ample product supplies at all aid stations to support athletes throughout the race.
With only a 1/3 lottery rate for entry slots, War Horse allocated sponsored quotas to running enthusiasts through public recruitment. Nearly 20 selected runners joined War Horse’s elite athletes, including Zhao Jiaju, Qi Min, and Xiong Xiaoxiao, to form the "War Horse Energy Team."
A pre-race breakfast run allowed the team to acclimate to the course and weather while sharing strategies.
Despite unexpected heat on race day, the War Horse Energy Team delivered stellar performances: sponsored athlete Zhao Jiaju claimed the 100km championship, Qi Min secured second place in the 50, amateur runner Chen Chaojiang finished fourth in the 100km group, and employee representative Lin Shaochuan debuted with a 17th-place finish in the 50km race.
Beyond podium glory, the event highlighted perseverance—epitomized when a 100km finisher crossed the line after nearly 30 hours, received cheers from thousands of awaiting runners. As the 2025 War Horse Xiamen Trail Race concluded, it marked not just an end but a new beginning: War Horse’s 2025 running campaign is now in full stride.
United by passion, powered by energy. War Horse remains committed to fueling the running community and empowering every enthusiast to push their limits.
