CFTT Shennongjia Ultra Race

📍Songbai Town, Shennongjia Forestry District, Hubei

“Running through 800 million years of mountain history”

RunEast Rating

The Good

  • UNESCO Triple Crown site - only second worldwide
  • Well organized
  • Authentic wilderness in protected biosphere

The Warning

  • Remote location - It's a long journey

Race Categories (2026)

TWS 80KM Mountain Hall

80km
5591m
23h
ITRA 4
UTMB 100K

About the Race

A trail race in Shennongjia Forestry District, which holds three UNESCO designations (only the second site worldwide to do so). The course connects three peaks—Wufeng, Songlang, and Qingyang—above Songbai Town.

The Experience

  • Scenery: The Wulang Qingyang section isn't the most scenic part of Shennongjia (Shennongding is better), but it's still good. Fir forests, alpine meadows, ridgelines—the terrain keeps changing.
  • Difficulty: The climbing is relentless. The 30K has 2200m of elevation gain; the 50K has over 4000m. Not much flat ground to recover on. If you like grinding uphill, this is for you.
  • Organization: Course markings are clear and plentiful. Blocked intersections are taped off, and staff are stationed at confusing junctions. Before the race, the organizers were active in WeChat groups—posting updates, answering questions, sharing transport and accommodation tips.

UNESCO Triple Crown

Shennongjia holds three UNESCO designations:

  • World Natural Heritage Site (2016) for biodiversity and geology
  • World Geopark, with rock formations 800 million years old
  • International Biosphere Reserve since 1990

Songbai Town is small and quiet. Good place to walk around after the race and grab food with locals.

Getting There

  • Train + Bus 🚄 🚌(Recommended): The nearest station is Shennongjia Station. From there, take a bus to Songbai Town(about 42KM).
  • Air ✈️: Shennongjia Hongping Airport has limited flights from Wuhan and Shanghai.
CFTT Shennongjia Ultra Race | RunEast Archives