Great Wall Trail 2026

Here is the Trail of the Great Wall of China 🇨🇳! Put on your trail shoes and come run 🏃 on one of the 7️⃣ wonders of the world ! 🌟 For its 21st edition in the month of May, the Great Wall Trail invites you for a race in 6 stages, organized in such a way to ensure you have an unforgettable experience 😍. Unlike the Great Wall Marathon, where only 3km are covered, this trail is 85% dedicated to one of the largest remains that man has been able to build 😯. The stages range from 5 to 14 km each, 4 of them run directly on the Great Wall, and another on the Eastern Tombs 👑. Set off on an adventure and accumulate 4,500m of elevation 🧗‍♀️, on a unique course of the Great Wall and its wild sections, and discover the hidden side of one of the most visited monuments in the world every year 🌎. The concept in two words? Trip & trail. But what is it? 🤔 The trip & trail, is organizing an entire trip centered around a race, with time dedicated to discovering the places where your competition takes place 🙌. So, who said you couldn't play the tourist during your trail ? 😜 The event organizes 9 days of activities to make you discover Beijing and its surroundings, offering you a timeless human adventure... 👀 Fed, taken care of, housed, that's the motto ☝️. Your registration includes: your flights ✈️, your meals 🍙 and organized visits to discover the splendor of the Middle Kingdom ! ✨ And if you are eager for history and culture, you also have the option to extend your stay to visit Hong Kong and its skyscrapers 🏙️, or the one known as Pearl of the Orient, Shanghai ✨. But be warned ⚠️, the number of spots is deliberately limited 🤏 for an intimate and friendly experience throughout your stay in the Middle Kingdom. Moreover, the race is open to both runners and walkers 🚶‍➡️. Something to please everyone and take in the scenery peacefully, even if many runners admitted to stopping during their race because the view is breathtaking ! 😍

For your odyssey on the Silk Road, the organizers have tailored a trip just for you 🧅. Departure Paris-Roissy Charles de Gaulle 🛫, upon your arrival the next day (yes, it takes time to cross half the globe 🌎), you will be welcomed at theXinqiao hotel in Beijing, more commonly known as Beijing ! The day after, upon waking, you'll set off for the first stage (the 5 km), as a prologue to discover the famous Great Wall of China. In the evening you'll eat and sleep at the Crown Plaza hotel. Their specialties include Cantonese and Sichuanese dishes... 🍛 A real treat! 😋 "But all happiness begins with a quiet breakfast" ☝️, the next day, after being well-fed the night before, you'll venture onto the 12 km ofChenjiabu then the day after that, you'll face 12 km to Mutianyu, a town with a strategic military past 🪖. Nestled in the mountains⛰️, it long served to defend Beijing against the Mongolian invasion 🇲🇳. After this outing, feel free to venture further into the Celestial Empire's scenery... 🌄 At the end of the day you'll return to the Great Wall hotel🏨, with its modern and luxurious architecture 😎 worthy of the 24k Magic music video by Bruno Mars 🪩 (yes, you know exactly which video we're talking about). But enough luxury, it's time for real life. You'll get off your phone 📱 and lift your head to admire this unique landscape waiting for you. Next step : Gubeiko at 180 km from the capital ! After covering 14 km on this authentic section of the wall dating from the 6th century AD, where the landscape is outlined by mountains ⛰️ on either side, you'll finish this 5th day at a local resident's 👲 who will host you for dinner and until the protein breakfast the next morning! In China, the first meal of the day often consists of small savory garnishes like Jiaozis 🥟 with meat or vegetables 🥬, or Jianbing, small crispy pancakes 🥞 filled with eggs, chives, and hoisin sauce! Yum, yum ! Enough to forge bonds and chat over a good balanced breakfast 🥢 with a local who will share about the customs of their country and this Chinese culture that is so complex and beautiful at the same time 😍. At the end of this morning, the focus shifts to Jixian for a 10 km on the Great Wall. End point, everyone off! 🚌 After a trail full of colors 🌈, your last race day will be divided into 3️⃣ parts! The first part of the day, you and the group head off for 10 km of racing. 🏃‍♂️ Once you reach Huangyaguan, north ⬆️ of the Tianjin municipality, you'll take one last stop for lunch and finally head back for the ultimate 5 km of your trail! 💪 You did it ! 😎 Enjoy your well-deserved award ceremony 🏆 and some roast duck 🥘, to recover from this intense effort 🥹. You'll stay 2 additional days to explore the surroundings and head back home with memories full in your head 🫶.

In your free time, we recommend a few small places to visit to maximize your experience and have no regrets! Yes, it's not every day that one goes to China... 😬 Go and admire the Forbidden City ❌, once the dwelling place of the Chinese emperors and their families. Thus a place forbidden to the people, hence its name! 😉 Then, stroll in downtown Beijing, on the Tiananmen Square, the largest square in the world 😳, or in the Hutongs, these typical small districts of the city due to their many alleys 🏘️. End your expedition at the Temple of Heaven or Temple of the Lamas 🦙, to feast your eyes before the journey home... 🔙 And there you have it! This one-of-a-kind trail will help you discover the splendors of the Liaoning province 🌟. Prepare to climb majestic mountains ⛰️ and get lost in unique places that will stay engraved in your memory. So don't miss this opportunity to push your limits and discover the hidden treasures of China ! 🇨🇳

So how about an escapade to the other side of the world with Contrastes Running? 🧳