Two runners compete in a mountain trail race jin Northwest China's Gansu Province in Apirl 2025. Photo: VCG

 

 

As temperatures soar across China this summer, a new trend is taking hold - one that swaps treadmills for trails and barbells for mud pits. Dubbed "primal sports," this surge in outdoor physical challenges is luring city dwellers out of gyms and into the wilderness, as events like trail running, mountain marathons, and obstacle races become go-to outlets for urban people to test their physical limits and reconnect with nature.

One standout in this trend is the Spartan Race, which has exploded in popularity in cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, and Changchun. With its muddy ditches, high walls, and combat-themed obstacles, the race has gained significant traction online. On social media platform RedNote, the hashtag has amassed over 70 million views. 

The momentum continues. On July 27, the Spartan China series landed in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin Province; while on August 16-17, the Spartan Kids World Championship will be held for the first time outside North America, at Yunding Snow Park in Chongli, North China's Hebei Province.

Each event challenges participants to complete distances ranging from 5 to 50 kilometers, interspersed with 20 to 60 physically demanding obstacles depending on the race category. In practice, the race involves climbing, hanging, crawling under barbed wire, and carrying sandbags, an almost primal return to physicality.

Liu Mingyi, chief expert at the China Youth Sports and Physical Education Integration Public Policy Research Center, said that the rise of outdoor running competitions is far from accidental.

"In the past, people stayed indoors, lifting weights in gyms. Now, there's a growing desire to break free from concrete buildings and reconnect with the natural world," Liu told the Global Times. 

"These mud-stained events offer not just wildness, but a kind of intimate dialogue with nature, a physical ritual that many urban people are craving."

For warriors, families

The recent Spartan Race in Changchun didn't just exhaust adult competitors; it pushed child warriors to their limits as well.

The race has long included both adult and children's divisions. For Lu Zichen, this summer marked his debut in the kids competition. His mother told the Global Times that she first heard about the event through viral photos showing world table tennis champion Ma Long participating with his child in May.

"My son's always been playful and active, and I thought this would be a great opportunity for him to spend time outdoors. If a world champion trusts this event with his child, why shouldn't we try it too?" she said.

But what she didn't anticipate was just how physically taxing the experience would be for both children and parents. 

"At the venue, I saw experienced families brought extra sets of clothes. Many kids had trained for weeks beforehand." As the race progressed, she found herself running alongside her mud-splattered son, cheering him on through the final obstacles.

"We were both exhausted by the end, but it really sparked Zichen's interest in the sport. He told me he wants to start training seriously and compete again."

Despite its booming popularity, the race is a relatively recent addition to China's sports calendar. In a 2016 interview, Spartan Race founder Joe de Sena explained that the event's arrival in any country has consistently triggered instant interest. 

"After all, who doesn't want to feel like a warrior?" he said.

In China, that warrior spirit is morphing into something deeper: a desire to "walk into nature."

Xu Duli, an ACE-certified international coach and frequent Spartan participant, told the Global Times that the rise of such events stems from a collective yearning for authenticity. "There's a hunger for 'realness.' People want to feel alive again.

"It's not just about a single competition," Xu added. "Any outdoor sport that breaks the routine of the city life and reconnects people with nature is gaining traction."

Spartan warriors compete in the Spartan Race in Moganshan in Deqing county, East China's Zhejiang Province, on November 2, 2024. 

Overcoming challenges

Just prior to the Changchun race, Xu completed a grueling 70-kilometer ultramarathon in Chongli. Although she's run trail races ranging from 10 to 30 kilometers, this was her longest to date. One thing she's noticed at every event: There are always new faces.

This is not surprising. According to the 2024 China Trail Running data, China hosted 505 trail running events in 2024, making it one of the country's fastest-growing outdoor sports.

Participants are graduating from treadmills and walking trails to rugged mountain paths. Signature events like Yunnan's Chongsheng Marathon lead runners past Erhai Lake and Cangshan Mountain, while Guizhou Province's Chishui River valley trail race in Southwest China weaves through red rock landscapes.

For many, these adventures serve as a much-needed reset. 

"It's like nature gives something back to overworked professionals," Liu said. 

"Enduring pain and fatigue outdoors helps recharge the spirit. That's why so many people become addicted to it."

However, the sport's popularity also raises concerns.

"These are not casual jogs in the park. Spartan Races, triathlons, and ultramarathons teeter on the edge of extreme and competitive sports," Liu warned. "People often try them just because they look cool online, but that's when injuries happen."

Many events now require participants to provide proof of prior race experience for safety reasons. For example, the Ultra Tour Mt. Siguniang requires proof of finishing a previous 30-kilometer trail run, while Beijing's TNF100 Ultra Trail challenge demands completion of a 20-kilometer race. Triathlons often mandate deep-water swimming certification.

"What makes nature so alluring is also what makes it unforgiving," Liu said. "You see people boasting online about completing their 'first Spartan Race' or 'first triathlon,' but many are just winging it: learning how to crawl under nets at the last minute, getting bruised, overwhelmed by rain, or panicked in dark open waters."

"People should be careful. These are not just weekend outings, they're rituals of resilience that demand serious preparation," Liu concluded.