We have our first winners of the 2025 Ultra Gobi 400.
Cody Poskin is the winner of this year’s Ultra Gobi 400 men’s title and crossed the finish line on October 6 with a time of 64:49:32. Zheng Junyue, the women’s champion, finished on day 4.
Among those who completed their journey at Ultra Gobi was a particularly notable runner. Gong Ming Cheng participated in the race for the eighth time this year — and he has finished every single edition.
“This year felt more challenging than usual,” said the 58-year-old from Fujian Province in southeastern China. “High mountains, deep valleys, desert terrain, and temperatures that made this one of the coldest Ultra Gobis ever — all of this made it tough.”
“But I’m happy and proud to be back here again, to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.”
“It’s incredible to see how Ultra Gobi has evolved. In 2014, there were just 13 of us who laid the foundation for this event. Ten years ago, there weren’t any races this long that required self-support. I’m really proud to have been part of that pioneering group.
The official start may have been a bit bumpy, but the organisers have learned year by year, constantly improving, and now it’s a fantastic race — well done! I especially want to highlight the volunteers. In the beginning, they all came from China, but now the group has become a bit more international, and they’re all doing a wonderful job.”
Julien Veermeer from South Africa, who arrived shortly after Gong, also praised the volunteers.
“Thank you to everyone who made this race possible, especially the volunteers,” he said. He had run around 60 km alongside Gong: “He’s such an inspiring person — friendly and calm with everyone. And he’s so strong! At some point, he was just gone ahead. The man is a true inspiration to me!”
“Was it a good idea to take part in this race? Absolutely. Will I come back? I’m not sure yet — but if I do, it’ll be with the right gear. My backpack was way too heavy, so I’m honestly glad it’s over. I’ve had more massages than sleep during this race, but every single one helped me!”
In the women’s race, Guo Yang secured third place, and Briton Melissa Venables finished fourth.
