How a delivery rider became China's first champion of the Alps

Chinese trail runner Zhao Jiaju made history in Italy on Wednesday by winning the Tor des Géants ultramarathon in 65 hours, 55 minutes and 22 seconds.

The 31-year-old became the first Chinese and Asian runner to win the race since its inception, while also setting a new course record, beating the previous mark by 13 minutes.

More than a decade ago, however, Zhao was running for a very different reason.

Around 2014, while working as a food delivery rider, he chose to run between deliveries instead of riding an electric bicycle like his colleagues.

During his time working as a delivery courier, running became part of his daily routine. Zhao has recalled carrying several food orders in each hand and running through streets, over footbridges and through tunnels. At one point, he handled about 1,500 orders a month, with each delivery covering an average distance of 2 to 5 kilometers.

"Although this wasn't systematic training, it helped improve my overall physical fitness," he said.

That experience laid the foundation for Zhao's transition to full-time trail running in 2017.

His journey to the sport was far from conventional. Born in Guizhou province in February 1995 and raised in Fenghuang ancient town in Hunan province, Zhao dropped out of junior high school. At 15, he went to Wudang Mountain in Hubei province hoping to learn martial arts, but eventually realized that becoming a professional fighter was beyond his reach.

Then a poster for the Hangzhou Marathon caught his attention. Its slogan, "Run through the scenery, run through you," introduced him to a different possibility.

"I realized there was such a competition, a marathon, and I wanted to give it a try," he said.

Since then, running has become a long battle with himself. "You only lose to your own lack of effort and your own laziness," he said.

That mindset was put to the ultimate test at the Tor des Géants, one of the world's premier ultradistance trail races. This year's 336.1-kilometer course featured more than 24,000 meters of cumulative elevation gain, roughly equivalent to three Mount Everests.

Zhao did not make his first rest stop until 35 hours and 42 minutes into the race and slept for only about 20 minutes. For the remainder, he relied on short naps at aid stations. In total, he slept for only about one hour during the roughly 330-kilometer journey.

After crossing the finish line, he posted on social media: "Tor des Géants, 330 kilometers. Finally, I've done it…"

The victory, however, also marked a farewell to the most extreme stage of his running career. Zhao said it would be his final race in the 168-kilometer-and-above category. He plans to take two months off before moving on.

Zhao said he hopes his experience can encourage more people to run.

"I hope my experience can motivate more people and give everyone the determination to keep moving forward," he said.