2026 Kailas UTMS Sets New Course Records with Elite International Competition
News related to:Kailas UTMS · 2 min read
SIGUNIANGSHAN TOWN, China, Nov. 11, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The 2026 Kailas Ultra Your Mt Siguniang (UTMS) race, held in the remote Siguniang Town, Xiaojin County, Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, attracted 2,750 runners and set new course times in China’s high-altitude Qionglai mountains. The event, which includes categories such as 100k / 4,322m, 70k / 3,526m, 50k / 4,455m, 45k / 1,670m, and 35k / 1,675m, showcased intense competition between elite runners from China and overseas.
Norwegian runner Hallvard Schjolberg won the 100k Men’s race with a time of 13.54.13, breaking the previous course record by 85 seconds. XU Jianli secured the 100k Women’s title in 27.46.54. The 45k race saw a new record set by HA Shi in 4.21.40, with QILIN Zhishi finishing second in 4.25.58. ZHENG Wenrong claimed the Women’s 45k title in 5.44.55.
In the 70k category, Wu Tingwei and Zhang Huiping emerged as the winners, with Wu Tingwei taking the Men’s title in 11.26.44 and Zhang Huiping securing the Women’s title in 11.36.53. HUANG Wei and WEI Yan dominated the 50k race, with HUANG Wei winning the Men’s race in 7.00.10 and WEI Yan securing the Women’s title in 9.04.23. The 35k race was won by LUO Li in 4.17.04 and XIE Mengling in 4.54.55.
The event, held at an altitude of 3,150m, with the course starting at 3,100m and reaching 4,560m at its highest point, highlights the growing popularity of trail running in China. According to estimates by the UTMB Group, China has around 300,000 trail runners, and the country’s trail scene is attracting elite international athletes looking to experience extreme, high-altitude, yet accessible trails.
SCHJOLBERG, the 100k Men’s winner, expressed his delight at winning his first race in China.
The Kailas UTMS race continues to attract athletes from various countries, including Belgium, China, France, Nepal, Norway, Russia, and the UK. Many of China’s elite trail athletes are starting to travel overseas for races, with ZHANG Huiping, the 70k Women’s winner, finishing second in the 2026 TORX330 in Italy.