Runners pass by the ancient Asoka Temple in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
China's top-tier outdoor sports IP Ultra Gobi will kick off its first international event "Ultra Gobi AlUla" in Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of 2027.
Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, Ultra Gobi AlUla will be hosted in northwest Saudi Arabia's AlUla city following the signing of a MoU between Ultra Gobi and the Royal Commission for AlUla this month, as part of Ultra Gobi's broader IP-led international expansion.
The Ultra Gobi race village provides a vital hub for thousands of runners during the multi-day endurance event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Rooted in the Silk Road heritage, Ultra Gobi has become a flagship IP that integrates ancient heritage with outdoor sports.
Tied to Ultra Gobi's cultural background, standing at the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road and the Spice Routes, also known as the Maritime Silk Roads, AlUla is a mesmerizing blend of natural wonders and ancient heritage, bearing witness to 7,000 years of successive civilizations.
The women's champion runs through the vast Gobi Desert during the Ultra Gobi 400km race. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Tailored to AlUla's millennia-old cultural landscapes, Ultra Gobi AlUla will roll out two competitive categories: non-stop category including Ultra Gobi 400KM and 121KM A+, and multi-stage race category including Ultra Gobi 121KM A, 121KM B+, 121KM B and 30KM C.
Among these, the Ultra Gobi 121KM A category operates under the original rules of this IP, offering a team endurance challenge that puts leadership, strategy, and collaboration into action, while leveling the field for mixed-gender and age-diverse teams.
A team strides in unison across the vast Gobi landscape during the Ultra Gobi Team Challenge. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
In China, Ultra Gobi centers on retracing the overland route taken by Xuanzang, the eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty who embarked on a westward pilgrimage for Buddhist scriptures more than 1,300 years ago.
It features the 121-kilometer Gobi Desert trek spanning four days and three nights, with the route weaving through cultural relics in Northwest China's Gansu province, including the Xuanquanzhi Postal Station and Suoyang city, which were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Silk Road.
A runner treks through the Yulin River Valley in northwest China's Shaanxi province during the Ultra Gobi 400km race. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Launched in 2006, Ultra Gobi is hailed as China's top-tier outdoor event with the largest scale and the highest number of participating teams nationwide. To date, it has attracted a total of 79,639 participants.
As the first Chinese homegrown sports-cultural IP to expand internationally through an IP-based partnership model, Ultra Gobi not only brings fine traditional Chinese culture to the global stage, but also boosts people-to-people ties between China and Saudi Arabia, and revitalizes the ancient Silk Road.
Wu Xinxin contributed to this story.
