Shen Jiasheng lives and trains with Chinese stars Qi Min and Yao Miao, but the 24-year-old is emerging from their shadow at the UTMB and HK100

Eoin Flynn quit his desk job to pursue a simpler life, and ended up announcing the winners of the world’s most famous ultra marathon

The world record marathon runner believes no one diet fits all, and runners should stick to what they believe in

Unlike professional models and performers in China’s tier-one cities, ‘white monkeys’ in the smaller cities get by just being white, handsome, blond and blue-eyed at bizarre corporate promotional events.

As rhino populations collapse, decimated by poaching for horn, the Entabeni Safari Conservancy in South Africa is establishing an ultramarathon to support rhino conservation at which Chinese runners are especially welcome.

Fatima Deryan says she ‘evolved’ her family so they would support her climbing projects as other women in Middle East are shackled by guilt

Liang Huguo from Yunnan, southwest China, was always fit and never smoked or drank. He took up cycle racing after retirement, and two years ago began running. He has since done 23 marathons and is having the time of his life.

Despite the technical and exposed course, she still finishes as the sixth fastest woman and 29th overall

The owner of A Team EdVentures, Anthony Somerset helps accustom highly urbanised young people to the great outdoors, putting them in challenging situations that require courage to overcome.

Zuicool has one million active users as well as millions of visitors a month who are looking to register for races and buy the latest running gear

From humble beginnings, Liang Jing is now competing with the best and working on his character to avoid a repeat of last year’s disqualification

Gary Leung Siu-wai from Hong Kong says he is not even slightly worried about the non-stop race across the rocky and mountainous expanses of the Gobi Desert. Fellow ultrarunners are more concerned about his guide.

A cruise tour guide expands his Chinese vocabulary, and when he jokes about opening a Chinese restaurant in the islands, his tour group offer to be his investors.

Jack Morozov was born with a condition that left him nearly blind, and was bullied at school. Canadian doctors healed him, and he became a healer himself, learning massage therapy, which he practises on runners, dementia sufferers and others in Hong Kong.

Alexei the Soldier’s weapon of choice was an anti-tank rocket, he took a contract on his first boss, and claims he was hired to eliminate Boris Berezovsky. Betrayed by love, he’s forged a remarkable new career behind bars and written his life story

While planning the route for a 200km mountain ultra-marathon, Pavel Toropov gets first-hand experience of life in Bhutan, where roads are few and far between, monks are demons at soccer, and Chinese tourists still a minority.

Mao Dou gained a big social media following after photos of her running in marathons in China were posted online. She’s bucking the ‘white, thin, beautiful’ trend and using her fame to empower other Chinese women.

Tengchong is located just 50 kilometres from Myanmar in the southern province of Yunnan. The city is well known for volcanic activity, so try your hand at hiking the Gaoligong Mountains or simply relax in a hot spring