Ski resort's summer appeal

For a few days in mid-July, the high-speed train from Beijing to Chongli in Hebei province sells out within hours. The carriages fill with strangers who are not strangers at all: read the lean contours of their calves, the mud-caked soles of their trail shoes, the vivid flat-brimmed caps, the constellation of race pins clipped to their packs.

These details are a silent currency. In this moving bubble, they forge a tribe.

They are trail runners, every one of them, en route to the annual Chongli 168 Ultra Trail race. Now in its 10th year, the event has quietly redefined what summer means in this former Olympic snow town.

This year, the event drew over 30,000 registrations across nine categories, ranging from 168 kilometers and 100 km for elite endurance runners to 50 km, and down to 10 km races, with categories for beginners, youth and women.

Ultimately, more than 12,000 runners secured official race entries.

"I've never competed in a race this large, but it feels very well organized, and commercial. I'm just excited," says American runner Shea Aquilano, who clinched the women's title in the 70 km category on July 12.

For her, the beauty of the sport lies in the shared ordeal and the camaraderie within the community. "Everyone's completing the same course, going through the same challenges. At the end of the day, everyone finishes the same thing, whether you come dead last or first. I think that's a really special thing to be a part of, with so many other people," she adds.

Eighty percent of Chongli's terrain is mountainous, with a forest coverage rate of 71.53 percent and an average summer temperature of 18.4 C.

Its cool, comfortable climate and richly layered mountain landscapes have not only made it a nationally renowned ski destination but also laid a natural foundation for summer mountain outdoor events.

More than 180 international runners made the trip to this year's event, with the majority coming from Southeast Asia and Europe. Addressing that, You Tianlin, deputy general manager of the event's organizer, Beijing Sanfo Sports Management Co Ltd, explains that for runners from Southeast Asia, Chongli's cool summer climate is a major draw.

"July in Chongli offers a perfect escape from the heat. With few races available in their home region during this time, our event serves as an ideal training opportunity."

For European runners and elite competitors, many use the Chongli 168 as a final tune-up before the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc World Series Finals in late August, he adds.

Beyond its natural advantages, Chongli leverages the infrastructure legacy of the 2022 Winter Olympics — high-speed rail, hotels, and transport systems built to handle tens of thousands of visitors.

The ski resorts, repurposed as indoor aid stations and gear-check hubs, offer hot water, restrooms, and buffet meals — amenities rarely seen in ultra-trail racing.

Jared Justian, an English teacher from New York now based in Beijing, sometimes takes the high-speed train to Chongli with his friends just to hit the trails for training.

He was taking part in the Chongli 168 Ultra Trail race for the second time. Last year, he completed the 30 km; this year, he successfully finished the 70 km.

He says that although rain made the course the muddiest he had ever run, when he reached the top of the final climb, the rain stopped and the clouds parted, allowing him to take in sweeping views of Chongli. That stretch of the trail, he recalls, was strikingly beautiful.