The 2026 HLA POW Beijing Trail Challenge (Haidian) will be held on September 12–13!
With a brand-new title sponsor and renewed branding, themed “My First Trail Run,” the event features four competition categories: Western Hills Dragon Ridge 100 km, Western Hills Panorama 60 km, Wangjing Trail 25 km, and Forest Run 10 km. It has been comprehensively upgraded in category setup, participant experience, and integration of culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibitions, bringing runners a mountain wilderness trail extravaganza combining Beijing-style characteristics with a tech-forward feel!
This year’s total registration reached 11,532, with a clearer participant demographic structure. Male runners account for 67.3% and female runners 32.7%, with the 35–44 age group becoming the main force. The event continues to attract runners from multiple locations: 7,517 local Beijing runners, accounting for 65.2% of total registrants; 1,853 from Haidian District, ranking first among all districts in the city; and foreign runners from 16 countries and regions also participating.
Compared with previous editions, this year streamlines the competition categories, focusing on four trail events from 10 km to 100 km. The 10 km emphasizes entry-level experience, lowering the barrier to trail running participation; the 25 km targets advanced enthusiasts; and the 60 km and 100 km satisfy the competitive challenge needs of veteran runners, with the event positioning more focused on popularizing trail running for the masses.
This edition of the event features numerous highlights in service experience, with multiple designs giving trail running more “Beijing flavor.”
The event supply stations gather nine time-honored Beijing brands including Qingfeng Steamed Bun Shop, Daoxiangcun, and Huguosi Snacks, bringing authentic Beijing-style delicacies to the mountain wilderness supply points—a major distinctive feature of the event. The event extends into the Huaxi LIVE • Wukesong commercial district, with a supporting outdoor sports expo, promoting deep integration of sports events and commercial district consumption, achieving linkage between inside and outside the competition venue.
“The Great Western Hills are Haidian District’s unique mountain resource. Organizing this trail race well is not just about holding a competitive event, but even more importantly about being an important vehicle for promoting national fitness and deepening sports-tourism integration,” said a responsible official from the Haidian District Sports Bureau. The event balances entry-level experience with professional racing, hoping both to let ordinary citizens enter the mountains and feel the charm of outdoor sports, and to further polish Haidian’s mountain sports brand through a high-quality event, empowering regional cultural tourism consumption with sports-driven traffic.
The event simultaneously steps up efforts in safety, rewards, green operations, and technology empowerment. Medical rescue, shuttle transport, and volunteer services comprehensively fortify participant safeguards; finisher materials and event rewards are further enriched, with new sports watch prizes added to motivate runners. The event practices sustainable operation concepts, extensively using eco-friendly materials, providing portable cups and trash bags, and strictly implementing on‑course waste collection and cleanup. At the same time, it introduces smart timing, GPS tracking, NFC medals and other technological means, using digital methods to enhance the participant experience.
Previous event data shows that trail races bring significant event economic effects. This edition has also linked with 7 surrounding contracted hotels to provide supporting accommodation services for runners, using the event to drive traffic and stimulate regional consumption, achieving “holding one event, activating a whole area of consumption.”
It is understood that this event features supporting activities including runner check-in, an outdoor sports expo, and elite runner sharing and exchange sessions. The event is not only a trail racing competition, but also a platform for promoting trail culture to the general public. A responsible official from the event stated that they hope to leverage the unique mountain resources of the Great Western Hills to lower the barrier to trail running participation, allowing more ordinary people to take their “first trail race in life,” empowering mass fitness through sports events, and contributing to Haidian’s integrated development of culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibitions.
