Recently, there has been a rapid increase in off-road running events in mainland China, but issues regarding event security, safety plans, and profitability have been surfacing. According to reports in mainland media, industry insiders have revealed that currently, the threshold for organizing off-road running events is low, with some events being exposed for insufficient supplies, poor emergency communication, and inadequate crisis response preparation. The head of a race organizing company mentioned that relying solely on registration fees, “90% of companies do not make money.”
With the increase in off-road running events, various challenges have become more apparent. Zhu Yubao, who has nearly a decade of experience in organizing off-road running events, stated that off-road running events are not a licensed industry, they do not require qualification approvals, and there are no capital registration requirements, making it easy for small groups or friends to set up a company and host an event.
However, several industry insiders pointed out that off-road running events differ from regular road races, as they have higher requirements for course design, supply arrangements, rescue setups, weather handling, and communication support. Alman, the founder of Shenxing Outdoor, mentioned to mainland media that the majority of events are operating at a loss, with 90% of race companies struggling to break even relying only on registration fees.
Reports highlighted an incident that occurred during the Flower River Grand Canyon Off-Road Race in Guanling County, Guizhou on April 19. Participants in the 50 km category found that there were no salt tablets at the supply points. In the hot weather, when runners requested salt from the staff, they were given table salt to mix with water. An industry veteran stated that water, electrolytes, salt tablets, cola, etc., are regular supplies for off-road running events and should be provided by the organizers as basic support.
In addition to supply issues, emergency mechanisms in mountainous race events have also been questioned. During the Liaoning Benxi Guanmenshan Off-Road Race on May 23, sudden heavy rain hit the race area, prompting the organizers to initiate a crisis protocol for the 100 km category at 3:30 AM. Due to poor communication signals in the deep mountains, some rear runners did not receive timely notifications. Some participants did receive notifications but were on risky stretches and had to proceed to the next section before dropping out. This exposed weaknesses in emergency communication plans for mountainous races.
In the eastern region of China, where events are concentrated, discrepancies in supplies and promotions have arisen. A runner mentioned participating in the Suzhou 100 City Off-Road Race, where there was a shortage of water at the supply points, forcing them to purchase water from local stores. Another participant noted that although the event organizers had promised ample post-race supplies in their promotional materials, there was a gap between what was advertised and what was actually provided. Industry insiders pointed out that while some organizers have experience with marathon events, their lack of experience in off-road running supplies and support poses challenges.
The growing number of off-road running events has led to an inadequate supply of race directors and professional teams, with some organizers transitioning from the marathon industry or other fields still going through a learning curve. Zhu Yubao emphasized that event organizing requires accumulated experience and should not make commitments to services that cannot be fulfilled, as participants will “vote with their feet.”
As the costs associated with compliance increase, some smaller events may be eliminated, causing the event market to further consolidate towards larger organizations. According to a document issued in April 2026 by the General Administration of Sports of China, mountainous off-road running events are required to undergo safety risk assessments. Industry insiders revealed that safety assessment fees for a 100 km race range from 10,000 to 50,000 yuan, while referee fees are around 150,000 to 200,000 yuan, putting pressure on small to medium-sized events.
Officials from the Mountain Climbing Association of China stated that off-road races exceeding 25 kilometers require reporting, with regulatory responsibilities carried out by local authorities and approval by provincial sports departments.
Zhu Yubao believes that as compliance costs rise, some smaller events may be phased out, leading to further concentration of the event market towards larger organizations.
There have been tragic precedents of safety issues in mainland China’s off-road running events. Previously, in a report by Da Ji Yuan, in May 2021, during a 100 km off-road race held in the Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Area in Jingtai County, Baiyin City, Gansu Province, extreme weather conditions led to the deaths of 21 participants and injuries to 8 others. Among the casualties were several top mainland Chinese off-road running athletes. Survivors revealed that despite making multiple rescue calls post-incident, they did not receive timely responses.
A follow-up report by Da Ji Yuan cited an official investigation report from the Communist Party of China, which exposed issues such as inadequate supply point placements, lack of medical aid and supply points in high-risk high-altitude race segments, poor communication, insufficient emergency contingency plans, and security measures.