Last weekend,the 2026 Anta Champion Tengchong Gaoligong Super Trail Race kicked off,in the 55 km category competition, a local runner drew everyone's attention — it was marathon star Yang Chunlong.He recently chose to retire from the professional team; after a short break, he chose to make his return at this classic trail running event held in his hometown.
Unexpectedly, in his own “first-ever trail race”, he surprised everyone. Racing despite being ill, he held firm under pressure and beat a host of strong rivals including He Fujun and Shi Yuedu,and in front of his hometown elders he claimed his first-ever trail title, getting off to a great start on a new chapter of his professional career.
Earlier last month, Yang Chunlong officially retired from the Yunnan team. This distinguished runner, who raced on the marathon circuit for twelve years, 27 years old, he left the state-run professional team.
At 27 he would normally be in the prime years for a marathoner, but Yang Chunlong, based in Yunnan — a region that produces many middle- and long-distance runners — missed last year's National Games, an event that is crucial for many state-supported athletes. This led him to rethink and replanning his life path.
After retiring, Yang Chunlong returned to his hometown in Houqiao Town, Tengchong. At thirteen he set out from here and ran out of the mountains to become one of China’s best-known marathon runners, but in doing so he missed a great deal of time with his family. This time, he finally has the chance to relax and spend time with his parents, and during these moments together he has been nourished by their love, gathering the energy to set out again.
Yang Chunlong said frankly that competition in the marathon field has become too intense; the leading elite runners keep producing strong results up front, while younger athletes continue to emerge behind them. As for himself, he has been hovering around 2 hours 11 minutes, and he has hovered there for two or three years without being able to make another breakthrough.
So he decided to try out trail courses as a new challenge, and he also hoped that through trail running he could further improve his endurance, helping himself later have a chance to break the 2:10 barrier. And as a running ambassador for 安踏, he has also received support from 安踏冠军, from trail-running gear to race services, which has only strengthened his resolve to take up trail running.
For Yang Chunlong, trail running has undoubtedly opened up new opportunities.
Many years ago, Yang Chunlong took part in aShaanxihostedmountain-running race,在 over 22 kilometers of distance,1400 meters of elevation gain, he finished in 3hours 22 minutes, which made him realize he had a solid trail running background.
And the Gaoligong Super Trail Race provided the best proof.Two days before the race he had a high fever 39 °C, coughing as he ran during the race, he overcame numerous difficulties and defeated the pre-race favorite,ITRA 899-point He Fujun. Such an outstanding debut performance undoubtedly demonstrated his huge potential.
Since switching to the trail scene, Yang Chunlong’s strengths stand out: his marathon background gives him a clear speed advantage; at the same time his body type makes uphill sections more efficient—when lifting his legs to climb he can use far less effort than taller competitors, reducing energy expenditure and effectively extending the time he can maintain good form.
After his first trail race, Yang Chunlong has a much clearer understanding of his weaknesses—he feels there is still plenty of room to improve his uphill and downhill technique. In fact, during his pre-race preparation he would often consult Qi Min and other trail-running greats whenever he had time; with deeper learning and exchange, and as he accumulates more race experience, his weaknesses should be steadily addressed.
At the same time, Yang Chunlong, who still harbors dreams of a breakthrough in the marathon, believes that improving his trail running ability will also "give back" to his marathon performances. Increased endurance will help him perform better in the latter stages of the marathon, helping himbreak the 2:10 barrier.Transitioning from road running to trail running will be a 'win-win' decision for Yang Chunlong.
On his road to victory at Gaoligong, 安踏冠军's trail running gear also became a strong support for Yang Chunlong. Yang Chunlong chose to wear 猎隼 Speed RC to compete,Through this mountain showdown, 猎隼 Speed RC proved its worth alongside Yang Chunlong in actual competition.
After the race, Yang Chunlong said this trail running shoe provided just the right amount of forward push without being so soft that it disrupted his power, and it will become his main race shoe for future trail races.
The mutual fit between the two actually stems from the "background origins" of 猎隼 Speed RC, this shoe is built with the excellent speed performance of a road running shoe while also integrating the performance demands of trail running, Yang Chunlong, who has always worn 安踏 road running shoes, naturally felt right at home.
猎隼 Speed RC ’s midsole houses Anta’s self-developed Nitro technology; the upper-layer Nitro Pro supercritical nitrogen foaming technology ensures exceptional rebound, cushioning, and lightness; the lower lightweight TPU Nitro technology provides some abrasion resistance, and together with the full-length spoon-shaped carbon-fiber plate delivers its racing performance,Vibram ’s premium outsole provides grip and anti-slip protection in mountain terrain, allowing athletes to run free in competition.
Gaoligong Special Edition Peregrine Speed RC (bottom)
Peregrine 3 RC (middle), Peregrine 3 (top)
For the Gaoligong Super Trail Race, Anta Champion specially released Gaoligong colorway versions of the Falcon series, in addition toFalcon Speed RC there are alsoFalcon 3 RC andFalcon 3two models to meet the needs of different trail runners.
Notably, on this Gaoligong course, the Falcon series collected4 victories,3 runner-up finishes,5 third-place finishes, becoming a true "Champion Hunter". At last year's “Running Shoe Gala” — the world's largest running expo The Running Event and UTMB Chamonix Grand Final, the Anta Champion Falcon series' appearances also won praise and solid results, taking it onto the world stage.
On this point, Yang Chunlong and Anta Champion once again saw eye to eye.In a post-race interview, Yang Chunlong said he hopes to keep moving forward on the trail running path, after two to three years of improvement be able to step onto UTMB course, wearing Anta Champion gear to go head-to-head with top international athletes in Chamonix and achieve outstanding results.
The Gaoligong title was just the beginning. Next, Yang Chunlong also signed up for the Golden Series the Huangyan Jiufeng Trail Masters and the Dujuan Flower Sea Yangchun Jilongding trail race, among many other events, he plans to hone his skills through a dense race schedule, while using half marathons to maintain his sense of speed.Marathon and trail running will be two concurrent disciplines for him
From road running to trail running, from domestic competitions toUTMB, Yang Chunlong's running has never stopped.Setting outfrom the hills and fields of his hometownagain, Yang Chunlongis writing a new chapter in his professional career.
