ShanghaiApril 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On April 30, 2026, Arc’teryx officially announced that Fu Zhao, Yan Longfei, Hai Guai, and Yu Xutao have joined as Arc’teryx athletes, building the brand’s elite athlete roster.
This signing further enriches Arc’teryx’s professional expression in the trail running scene and marks significant progress in the brand’s deepening of its trail running strategy and construction of a global athlete system. The four athletes each represent the brand’s long-term vision in the trail running arena, from sustained progress on the international stage to deep-rooted experience accumulated in the mountains; from ultra-long-distance endurance exploration to the sharpness and potential of the new generation, showcasing different paths in trail running.
Arc’teryx Athlete Elite Roster
Fu Zhao: From the international arena to broader horizons, continuously surpassing herself, embracing mountain dreams with passion
As one of the internationally representative athletes in Chinese trail running, Fu Zhao has long been active on the trail running scene. Whether through her steady performance on long-distance, technical courses or her continuous progress in high-altitude environments, she remains resilient and focused, constantly expanding her capabilities as a mountain athlete.
Fu Zhao’s connection to the mountains stems both from her upbringing and from the sustained accumulation of years of running. Born in Wanzhou, Chongqing, she has gradually developed mature judgment on pacing, routes, and physical condition through countless training sessions and races, steadily forming a distinct and stable personal style on the international trail running stage.
From the Western States 100 to the 2025 World Trail Majors, Fu Zhao continues to prove her strength. Starting from starting lines around the world, she constantly improves her ability to balance speed and endurance. In July 2025, Fu Zhao successfully speed-climbed Muztagh Ata, at an altitude of 7,546 meters. The endurance foundation honed through trail running converged with the tenacity and precise judgment required at high altitudes, further broadening her professional scope as a mountain athlete.
In her ever-expanding mountain practice, she has become an important representative of continuous advancement in both trail running and high-altitude fields. Through her own exploratory path, Fu Zhao demonstrates endurance, judgment, and boundary-breaking ability in mountain environments, while also promoting more diverse expressions in this field.
“Every departure, whether for trail running or climbing, is about surpassing myself and embracing more people’s mountain dreams with passion.” Joining Arc’teryx is not just a milestone for Fu Zhao but also marks entry into a broader mountain system.
From competitive tracks to high-altitude peaks, she always explores more possibilities as a mountain athlete with an fearless heart. She represents the ability and will to continuously evolve and ascend to higher mountains. In the future, Fu Zhao will stand shoulder to shoulder with Arc’teryx, moving forward in the vast wilderness and climbing peaks together on a global scale.
Arc’teryx Global Athlete Fu Zhao
Yan Longfei: A pioneer deeply rooted in the mountains, never stopping, never resting on yesterday’s achievements
As one of the early pioneers of Chinese trail running, Yan Longfei represents the depth of experience and mountain accumulation in Arc’teryx’s trail running roster. From track training to 100-kilometer races, 24 years of running and 13 years of mountain journeys have made him a seasoned runner with rich experience in 100-kilometer events and mountain technical skills. Step by step, his footprints reflect his enduring runner’s determination. In a mature competitive state, he ensures every run does justice to the mountains.
In past competitions, Yan Longfei won the 2015 Hong Kong Vibram HK100 100-kilometer race, claimed the championship at the Chaihu Tangsi Kuocang Mountain Trail Race four times, and achieved a three-peat in the Ninghai Trail Challenge 100K. After enduring injuries and ups and downs, he continues to push forward, battling himself on the track and interpreting his pure passion for the mountains with every step. Today, his journey continues to unfold.
“Don’t dwell on the past, don’t stop moving, and surpass yesterday’s self.” For Yan Longfei, what truly matters is not resting on past achievements but constantly renewing his understanding of himself and the mountains through continuous running.
In the future, he will walk alongside Arc’teryx, exploring the depth of mountain spirit with a more composed demeanor, ensuring every run does justice to the mountains.
Arc’teryx Athlete Yan Longfei
Hai Guai: A practitioner of pure mountain exploration, starting with curiosity, continuing with discovery
Hai Guai, as an athlete deeply engaged in trail running, represents the resilience, endurance, and exploratory dimension in Arc’teryx’s trail running roster. Known for his expertise in self-navigation and ultra-long-distance challenges, he possesses stable pace control, solid endurance, and a tenacious racing style. In his view, whether training, racing, or entering new mountain territories, it is essentially a practice of “being”: establishing rhythm amid uncertainty, maintaining clear judgment over long periods of movement, and finding a way to coexist with the mountains.
He has participated in high-intensity events and challenges such as TORX330 Tor des Géants and Lake BIWA100 in Japan. In 2018, his team was the only Asian team to complete the UTMB-PTL; in 2024, his team achieved fourth place overall. Additionally, he has won the West Lake Mountain Run four times and is a long-term full-attendance finisher of the Ninghai Trail Challenge 100K.
Years of ultra-long-distance experience have allowed Hai Guai to explore a unique way of relating to the mountains. “Stay curious, stay exploratory.” This is both Hai Guai’s approach to sports and the reason he continues to delve deeper into the mountains. Joining Arc’teryx, for him, is a journey of exploration alongside like-minded individuals and a new beginning to return to the essence of trail running in the mountains, pursuing a purer state.
Arc’teryx Athlete Hai Guai
Yu Xutao: A new generation of trail running power, more than one track, more than one possibility
As a representative of the new generation of trail running power, Yu Xutao injects youthful vitality into Arc’teryx’s trail running roster.
With a sports creed of “no limits, dare to try,” his diverse athletic background in cross-country skiing, marathons, and mountain trail running provides him with a solid speed foundation, body control, and mountain adaptability.
Since his trail running debut in July 2025, Yu Xutao has quickly emerged, winning the 70-kilometer group championship at the Chongli 168 Ultra Trail, the 55-kilometer group championship at the Guiyang Sky Mirror, and finishing in the top three in the 50-kilometer group at the Chaihu Tangsi Trail Race. Meanwhile, his personal best marathon time of 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 32 seconds, meeting the standard of an elite athlete, showcases his rapid growth, sharpness, and competitive potential.
“My life’s track is not just one; it’s an infinitely extending wilderness. I want to explore wilder paths and touch a broader world.” For Yu Xutao, trail running is a starting point for continuously opening himself up and reaching a wider world. In the future, he will continue to grow on mountain trails, injecting more vitality and possibilities into trail running, writing his own evolutionary journey.
Arc’teryx Athlete Yu Xutao
With the continuous improvement of its athlete roster, Arc’teryx is also deepening its understanding of trail running and refining its professional equipment offerings based on real mountain usage scenarios.
In March 2026, the new Sylan 2 was officially launched, building on the propulsion-oriented design concept with multi-dimensional upgrades in lightweight performance, propulsion efficiency, and structural stability. The value of equipment also needs to be validated in real scenarios. On the track, two athletes achieved outstanding results wearing the Sylan 2: On March 28, 2026, Fu Zhao competed in the Buffalo Stampede 100km (Bright Ultra 100km), finishing in 11 hours, 41 minutes, and 21 seconds; Hai Guai successfully completed a 100-mile exploration in the Ninghai Trail Challenge, finishing in 26 hours and 54 minutes, with a cumulative elevation gain of 7,837 meters over 151 kilometers. From competitive 100-kilometer races to ultra-long-distance trail running, real-world usage experiences across different scenarios will drive Arc’teryx’s continuous upgrades to trail running footwear and equipment systems.
In the future, Arc’teryx will grow alongside its athletes, supporting every departure with professional equipment and, based on real mountain feedback, continuously deepening its professional investment in the trail running field.