Chongli race puts local tourism in the running

Chongli has also emerged as a popular tourist destination thanks to the race. Participants received promotional brochures highlighting Chongli's boutique travel routes and many runners brought their families along to enjoy the cool summer weather in the mountains.

Ji Weimin, deputy director of the Institute of Industrial Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, remarked that the Chongli 168 Ultra Trail Race transcends being merely a sports event. It serves as a cultural showcase, an economic development opportunity and a promising exploration of rural revitalization, he said.