The organizers of Gaoligong by UTMB®, Exploring Xingzhi Group, have announced the event, which was due to take place from 18-20 December will now be rescheduled to March 2022 following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Part of the Ultra-Trail® World Tour, when registration closed in February this year, there were 4,500 Chinese and international runners had already signed up to the second edition of Gaoligong by UTMB® that was scheduled to take place in the preserved Gaoligong Mountains, located in the Yunnan Province.

Catherine Poletti, UTMB® Group Chairwoman commented: “The decision to reschedule this year’s event is not an easy one with many things to consider, and we fully support the organizers in their choice. While we are happy to see other events being organized in China, the current health situation means Gaoligong by UTMB® could not be organized in the manner runners have come to expect following the first edition of the event, including the welcoming of international participants.

“We want to ensure that runners receive the full Gaoligong by UTMB® experience; a wonderful route designed to provide trail runners with a unique opportunity to explore China’s undiscovered trails, and an international event that welcomes runners from across the world. Together, we will be back stronger in 2022 when the conditions are right.”

Offering world-class trails, runners from across the globe were due to run in the foothills of the Himalaya’s around the Gaoligong Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site across four distances – 165km, 130km, 55km and 35km. They will now be offered the chance to transfer their entry to 2022 or a full refund. Runners will be contacted directly with more information.

Gaoligong by UTMB® is part of UTMB® Group family of events, that includes Asian events Panda Trail by UTMB® and Thailand by UTMB®, Oman by UTMB® in the Middle East, as well as European events Val d’Aran by UTMB®, and the pinnacle event, UTMB® Mont-Blanc.

For the latest updates, and for information on entry deferral or refunds, visit the official event website, here. (http://mtgaoligong.com)