What new sparks could Xiaohongshu’s partnership with UTMB bring to…

As a media outlet, Paoye goes to Chamonix every year to bring you coverage of the UTMB World Final. Returning to the town this year, we noticed some familiar sights on site — Xiaohongshu banners fluttering, Captain Shu appearing at the race, and Xiaohongshu’s insight-sharing at the UTMB China Community Day all became distinctive features of this year’s UTMB on the ground.

Behind these changes is the deep collaboration UTMB reached with Xiaohongshu this year.

In August, the official UTMB account officially joined Xiaohongshu, and the two sides launched a series of collaborations spanning online race content to on-site race activations — from race live streams and topic interactions to community events, the EXPO site, and Chinese-language service points, Xiaohongshu’s presence appeared across multiple UTMB settings.

A global trail race unfolding in Chamonix thus connected with a content community familiar to Chinese runners. As a major international event stepped into a “second screen” for Chinese runners, an important question arose: what changes are happening in China’s trail running scene?

Between trail races and runners

Building an online space for sustained connection

The true on-site action of the UTMB World Final happens in Chamonix. But for runners, a UTMB is not limited to the period after the gun goes off. From pre-race attention on entrants and event information, to preparing gear and studying routes, to tracking race progress during the event and sharing post-race experiences, the race itself is a high point — yet the content and needs generated around the race can continue to extend.

In August, the official UTMB account launched on Xiaohongshu. Around the 2026 UTMB World Final, the official account delivered frontline coverage and final race live streams; at the same time, Xiaohongshu initiated topics like “The World’s Love for the Wild Routes,” letting runners in China follow the event in real time through content.

From pre-race briefing to in-race tracking to post-race replay and sharing — a race in France therefore gained an online “second screen” for Chinese runners.

This attention is also reflected in the post-collaboration data. After UTMB’s official account joined Xiaohongshu, follower numbers rose sharply; during the event, related in-platform reads exceeded 18 million, new notes grew 324% year-on-year, and related search volume increased 644% month-on-month.

(Data source: Xiaohongshu data platform; statistical period 2026.8.24–2026.8.30)

And when users begin actively searching and sharing, attention driven by the race no longer stays limited to the competition itself.

A runner’s performance may prompt interest in their training methods and race kit; the scenery along a course may spark ideas for the next trip into the mountains; a race experience can become a reference for other runners choosing gear or planning routes. Interest generated by an event thus gradually turns into specific trail-running needs.

During the event, Xiaohongshu launched a “Market Trail Season,” centering on “gear for heading into the mountains” and segmenting four real-use scenarios: city outdoor, nearby/suburban hiking, mountain trail running, and long-distance traverses. Core outdoor brands participated centrally, and through gear sharing, professional reviews, brand content, and live streams, the question of “how to choose gear” for different mountain-running scenarios became more concrete. Four leading buyers took their actual kit into the mountains for field tests, sharing gear choices based on use scenarios, while the market further combined content discovery and gear selection, giving users a more direct path from learning about equipment to making a purchase decision.

As an event’s influence extends from the racecourse into runners’ everyday content, Xiaohongshu becomes the online space that sustains the connection between trail races and runners.

On Xiaohongshu, feel the new changes in Chinese trail running

After years of development, the Xiaohongshu platform has already become one of the main online exchange hubs for Chinese trail-running enthusiasts, and a new window for observing the development dynamics of China’s trail running.

According to official data, the Xiaohongshu trail-running interest population has reached 82 million, up 85% year-on-year. Notably, this group is getting younger: interest among 19–25-year-olds has grown over 90%, and the proportion of mid-to-high spending-power usersOver 90%Trail running hasceased to be just a topic discussed by experienced runners; it’s being noticed and tried by a younger, broader group of enthusiasts.

(Data source: Xiaohongshu Data Platform; statistical period: June 2025–May 2026)

What these people are paying attention to is also hidden in the content and searches the platform generates every day.

Over the past year,The number of trail running–related posts on Xiaohongshu grew 120% year-on-year, and search volume increased by over 50%.From “how to prepare for your first trail” to “100-km essential gear checklist” and “trail running shoe recommendations,” runners’ questions become increasingly specific as their level of participation deepens.

Data source: Xiaohongshu Data Platform; statistical period: August 1, 2025–July 31, 2026.

Some are still looking for their first step into trail running, some have already started preparing for their next race, and others are challenging themselves toward longer distances and more professional goals. From “first trail” to “first 100K,” content on 小红书 follows runners as they progress, documenting their stages from entry to advancement.

As runners continuously advance, their needs are changing—the deeper they go, the more specific their demands become.

Over the past year, in 小红书 trail-running content, beyond hot categories like trail running shoes and backpacks, niche categories such as trail shorts, long-sleeves, and waist packs have also continued to draw attention. Runners are no longer just broadly searching for “a pair of trail shoes”; they’re starting to choose gear that truly fits them based on distance, terrain, weather, and their stage of running.

From more segmented categories, to more professional choices, to more complete equipment needs, runners’ understanding of trail running is deepening. A pair of shoes, an item of clothing, or a backpack may correspond to a specific race, a particular route, or preparation for the next trip into the mountains.

For brands, these changes appearing in everyday content also provide a window to observe runners. Why runners are preparing, what they’re interested in, and in which scenarios their needs arise can all be found in the steadily growing searches and content.

From event exposure to brand-building,

trail-running marketing is opening up new possibilities

More and more brands are entering the trail-running arena, but how to leverage top-event attention to convert event exposure into brand recognition and business results is a challenge brands must face. The cooperation between 凯乐石 FUGA and 小红书 offers a case worth unpacking.

The UTMB World Series settled on 小红书 and launched full-course live streaming for the first time, providing FUGA with a natural event-content stage. Riding the event’s attention, FUGA’s elite team headed to Chamonix, and the new trail-racing models EX PRO / EX PRO G were globally released during the event window, appearing on the world stage alongside the elite team.

(Data source: brand data,Statistical period 2026.8.24-2026.8.30）

At the same time, FUGA partnered with professional runners to continuously co-create content around course experience and gear on-foot testing, covering hardcore trail, light outdoor and a broader athletic audience.

FUGA also brought its brand store into the trail-running shrine "Chamonix." During the event, FUGA maintained ongoing content linkage with runners on Xiaohongshu, extending the brand–runner connection from the racecourse to real mountain-running experiences. During the event the brand ranked first in trail-running shoe search rankings and brand search heat rose 20%, delivering noticeable results.

(First data source: brand data,Statistical period 2026.8.24-2026.8.30）

Unlike FUGA’s deep focus on professional trail-running scenarios, during the event SN used UTMB as an entry point to establish professional recognition of merino wool on Xiaohongshu while further expanding the category’s application scenarios. During the event SN communicated with the trail-running community through authentic content—teams, mountain huts, aid stations, finish-line reflections—and, combined with product features such as soft skin feel, resistance to temperature swings, and not feeling cold when sweaty, reinforced merino wool’s functional perception in outdoor sports scenarios.

At the same time, content further covered running, hiking, yoga, commuting, and fashion outfit scenarios, extending merino wool from professional outdoor use to urban sports and everyday wear, reaching a broader sports and lifestyle audience.

Beyond content expansion, SN further funneled event traffic into business scenarios. During the event the brand’s in-store live streams stayed online, and during the UTMB final they captured event traffic through buyer-special live broadcasts; after the race they sustained brand exposure with "mountain-running season" content, continually building user interest in the merino category.

During the campaign, SN’s AIPS audience assets rose 49%, searches increased 25%, merino-related searches grew 40%, and 7-day ROI reached 15+.From building category awareness via professional events, to expanding into diverse lifestyle scenarios, to capturing traffic through live streams and searches, SN leveraged Xiaohongshu to convert event attention into category growth.

(Data source: Xiaohongshu data platform, statistical period 2026.8.20-9.01)

Closing remarks

These new brand-marketing stories on Xiaohongshu are changing how trail-running brands connect with users. They are no longer just concentrated exposure during events, but continuous engagement before, during and after races; this can occur on top-level competitive stages or in everyday outfits, urban commutes, and light outdoor scenarios. This connection has become more efficient and precise, and Xiaohongshu provides the growth arena for this new mode of connection.

Runners discover races here, research gear, and share experiences; brands build mindshare, capture searches, and complete conversions. Event IPs, content platforms and consumer demand have found ways to intersect in this arena.

From UTMB to events like Chongli 168, from professional trail races to broader outdoor scenarios, Xiaohongshu is creating ever more authentic connections between events, sports brands and runners. When top global events meet Chinese runners’ content ecosystems, the "live" experience of trail running is extending from the mountains into a wider online space. For brands, an event’s value has stretched from a brief exposure to ongoing cultivation of audiences, content and consumer demand.

When a race becomes an entry point for ongoing brand–user communication, Xiaohongshu is opening up greater operating space for sports brands’ event marketing.

[End-of-article interaction]

#Which trail-running content do you follow on Xiaohongshu?#

Text / Editor: HP

Image sources: Pao Ye Da Baozha, Xiaohongshu

Visuals: Max

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What new sparks could Xiaohongshu’s partnership with UTMB bring to trail-running marketing?