More than 600 competitors from China and beyond took part in Monday's "Travel with Sports" 2024 Dashudao Mountain Trail Race in Cangxi county, Guangyuan, Sichuan province.

The "Travel with Sports" 2024 Dashudao Mountain Trail Race takes place in Cangxi county, Guangyuan, Sichuan province, on Monday. [Photo provided to cngy.gov.cn]

Following a brief opening ceremony, the starting horn sounded at 8:30am, sending athletes off in their attempts to to conquer the challenging mountain trails. Among them was 70-year-old Yang Sanyou from Jiange county, who didn't start running until the age of 59 but has since completed several full and half-marathons.

"I love sports and the joy of running," Yang said, before outlining his plans compete in another marathon next month.

There were two categories available for this year's race: a 30-kilometer route for both men and women featuring a 942-meter elevation gain, and a 10-kilometer race with an elevation gain of 112 meters.

The winners in the men's 30-kilometer race celebrate on the podium. [Photo provided to cngy.gov.cn]

After fierce competition, He Fujun from Gansu secured first place in the men's 30km category, with David Liu from Italy finishing second and Gansu's Zhang Jueming taking third. In the women's 30km category, Gan Zhifang from Yunnan took first place, followed by Jiang Wenli from Chongqing in second and Sichuan's Yang Xuebing in third.

The winners in the women's 30-kilometer race celebrate on the podium. [Photo provided to cngy.gov.cn]

"It's my first time participating in the Dashudao Mountain Trail Race in Guangyuan, and I've gained a lot from the experience," said an overjoyed Liu after his victory.

"I work in China and have traveled to many places here. I'm very impressed with the country."

The event was organized by the Sichuan Mountaineering and Outdoor Sports Association and hosted by the Guangyuan Sports Bureau, as well as a number of local governments.