Former Chinese delivery driver wins prestigious ultra-trail crown

Chinese ultra-trail runner Zhao Jiaju has won the 330-kilometer category of Italy’s Tor des Géants, becoming the first Chinese and Asian runner to claim the overall title since the event began.

Zhao crossed the finish line in Courmayeur in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, completing the race in 65 hours, 55 minutes and 22 seconds. His time was 13 minutes faster than the previous course record.

The Tor des Géants is regarded as one of the world’s toughest ultra-trail races. Its course stretches for more than 330 kilometers through the Italian Alps, passing major peaks including Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa.

Runners face more than 24,000 meters of cumulative elevation gain, roughly three times the height of Mount Everest. They must also contend with rugged terrain, high-altitude conditions, sharp temperature changes between day and night, and potentially extreme wind and rain.

The race has a 150-hour time limit and no mandatory rest periods. Competitors must therefore decide for themselves when and how long to sleep while maintaining enough energy to complete the course.

Zhao adopted an unusually aggressive approach. He ran for 35 hours and 42 minutes before stopping at his first checkpoint and reportedly slept for only around 20 minutes. After that, he relied on short naps of about 10 minutes at checkpoints.

Across the entire race, his total sleep time was only about one hour.

The strategy came at a significant physical cost. Zhao said the second half of the race was “almost unbearable,” as he dealt with body pain and blurred vision while pushing toward the finish.

Food delivery driver

His victory is the latest achievement in a career that began far from elite trail running. Born in Guizhou in February 1995, Zhao previously worked as a food delivery rider and developed his endurance by running to make deliveries.

Zhao began entering marathons before turning to long-distance trail competitions at the age of 22. By 26, he had accumulated the highest International Trail Running Association points total among runners in Asia.

His rise has included several major victories in China. In July, Zhao won the 168-kilometer Chongli 168 Super-Trail Race in 19 hours, one minute and 32 seconds, breaking his own course record from six years earlier. The victory made him a four-time champion of the event.

His latest achievement also represents a comeback.

Zhao competed in the Tor des Géants for the first time in September last year but was forced to withdraw at the 203.8-kilometer aid station after running out of energy.

“I will be back,” he said at the time.

One year later, he returned to the race and completed the course as champion.

Zhao’s victory comes without prize money, but the event has become one of the defining challenges in ultra-trail running, testing endurance, race strategy and the ability to manage extreme physical demands over several days.

After completing the course, Zhao said he hoped his experience could encourage more people to take up sport and persevere through difficult challenges.

“I hope my story can motivate more people and give everyone the resolve to forge ahead bravely,” he said.