March 23 saw another major story in the trail running community: China’s top trail runner Yao Miao officially parted ways with international trail brand Salomon, ending a partnership that had lasted for years. This news attracted wide attention not only because the two had worked together for so long, but because Yao Miao has long been more than a representative of Chinese women’s trail running—she has been an important symbol of Chinese runners standing on the world’s top trail stages. Official farewell: an indescribable journey. Yao Miao’s partnership with Salomon began in 2019. Over the past years they witnessed the full process of a Chinese runner growing and transforming through highs, lows, and rebuilding. In 2018, at just 21, Yao Miao burst onto the UTMB grand final stage by winning the CCC, becoming the first Asian woman to win that category. That victory remains one of the defining moments of her career. But she did not have an uninterrupted rise after that. After periods of fluctuating form and life pressures, she gradually rediscovered her love for running and rebuilt the rhythm and sense of control of a professional athlete, winning two titles and one third place at OCC in the past three years. Therefore, this farewell cannot be summed up as a simple “end of cooperation”; it feels more like a runner and a brand completing an important shared growth journey. Seven-year retrospective: from prodigious youngster to world-class trail elite Looking back over the years together, Yao Miao’s record is dazzling: 2023 UTMB Mont-Blanc OCC — women’s 3rd place 2024 UTMB OCC — women’s champion 2023 Ninghai by UTMB 100K — women’s champion 2023 Hefei Marathon — women’s champion 2025 Val d’Aran PDA — women’s champion 2025 UTMB OCC — women’s champion 2025 TsaiGu Nine Peaks Trail — women’s champion As a Chinese female athlete, her sustained presence on the podiums of top international trail races—and multiple victories—are among the most representative achievements of Chinese trail running in recent years. Yao Miao’s value has never been limited to results. She is a rare “road-and-trail” hybrid in the domestic running scene, equally capable of handling complex terrain in mountain trail races and remaining highly competitive on the road. For this reason, the end of this partnership draws particular attention. For any brand that hopes to continue developing the Chinese trail running market, Yao Miao is not just a championship asset but a rare example combining professionalism, international recognition, and female strength. Farewell is not the finish line; the mountains will meet again A goodbye is never the end. For Yao Miao, over these years she has reshaped not only her results but the way she operates as a top athlete; for Salomon, this partnership has long been more than a brand collaboration—it has been a narrative of growing together with Chinese trail running. The mountains remain vast and the running continues—Yao Miao’s next chapter is about to begin. #YaoMiao #Salomon #trailrunning #TrailRunningBigBang