The lottery results for the 2026 Chaigutangs Kuocang Trail Race have been officially announced. First, congratulations to everyone who won a spot — for those who didn't get in, don't be discouraged. Now that the results are out, let's take a look at just how competitive this year was. First, the big picture: this year there were 20,815 valid public registrations, plus 541 automatic qualifiers. (Compared with last year’s 20,548 registrations, an increase of 270, although last year there were 1,123 automatic qualifiers.) The total number of lottery entries was 24,666, and in the end only 5,304 people were lucky enough to secure entry — an overall selection rate of just 21.5%. (In 2025, excluding the 120 who won the tenth-anniversary limited T³G Grand Slam group, the other three groups had 4,380 selected, for an overall selection rate of 21.8%.) Because this year each entrant could only register for one category, the total number of winning spots was ultimately reduced by 804 — which is understandable. But did you notice a question? Why is the total number of lottery entries higher than the total number of registrations this year? That brings us to this year’s new lottery rule: Any runner who finished any one of the 2026 Panda Shudao Mountain Super Trail, Chaigutangs Langlangtan Trail Race, or Huangyan Jiufeng Trail Masters will have their name added one extra time to the lottery pool (i.e., their chance of being selected is doubled); finishing all three events increases the chance to four times. Now for the breakdown by category: 2026 105K category Registered: 1,652; Selected: 1,484 Selection rate: 89.8% 2025 105K category Registered: 2,215; Selected: 990 Selection rate: 44.7%   2026 50K category Registered: 7,417; Selected: 1,816 Selection rate: 24.5% 2025 50K category Registered: 7,133; Selected: 1,680 Selection rate: 23.6%   2026 25K category Registered: 11,205; Selected: 2,004 Selection rate: 17.9% — the lowest of the three categories 2025 25K category Registered: 9,836; Selected: 1,710 Selection rate: 17.4% In the 105K category, this year’s selection rate hit an impressive 89.8% — it’s almost a “register and you’re in” situation. For elite 100K runners, luck may have just been icing on the cake. In the 50K category, the number of selected runners increased by 136, and the selection rate rose by 0.9%. However, the 25K category remains “hell mode” — only one in five applicants gets a spot. That said, if you were one of the lucky 21.5% who got in, the lottery is only the beginning — finishing safely is the real goal. Prepare well, and see you on the course. If you’re disappointed you didn’t get a spot this year, don’t lose heart — keep entering next year; maybe the next ticket will be yours! #2026 Chaigutangs Kuocang Trail Race #trail running #Chaigutangs #TrailRunningBoom