Conventionally viewed as the off-season for sports consumption, winter presents natural challenges for outdoor activities due to low temperatures and limited conditions, causing a contraction in exercise scenarios. However, with national fitness rising to a national strategy and health consumption becoming a long-term trend, the value of winter sports is being re-evaluated, giving rise to new consumer growth opportunities. Seizing this trend, Guireniao has continuously promoted the "123 National Winter Running Day" for ten consecutive years. Using running—a sport with low barriers to entry, flexible scenarios, and strong participatory appeal—as an entry point, the brand has cultivated an emerging sports scene, injecting vitality into winter sports consumption. In 2025, the Guireniao "123 National Winter Running Day" celebrates its tenth anniversary, transforming this decade-long winter running initiative into a clear case study of how the winter running economy has evolved from a "passionate endeavor" into a "hot economic sector."
The journey from passion to a thriving economy has charted an industrial curve literally run into existence. On the afternoon of December 19, a special event marking the tenth anniversary of the Guireniao 123 National Winter Running Day, coupled with the launch of the Anti-Slip μ Technology, commenced at the SINA Corp headquarters building. Following the welcome ceremony and opening speeches, an in-depth forum centered on "A Decade of Winter Running" was launched. Heavyweight guests, including Guireniao Brand President Lü Xiulan, SINA Finance CEO Deng Qingxu, Tie Di Fei Xing Running Group Captain Shang Xiaojun, and financial blogger Yu Ming, gathered to discuss the evolution from individual runners' perseverance to broader changes at the industrial and consumption levels.
At the outset of the discussion, Deng Qingxu first deconstructed the practical value of winter running for winter sports consumption from a financial perspective. In his view, the rise of winter running is not a fleeting trend but a long-formed "counter-cyclical curve." The spontaneous advocacy by core runners, combined with the widespread adoption of healthy living concepts, has laid the foundation for winter running's popularity among the masses. This synergy has also generated a stable and sustained pull on seasonal equipment, events, and related service consumption. As the concept of winter running gains traction, the questions of *how* to run and *how* to enjoy running have become critical, which is precisely where Guireniao is focusing its efforts. As Guireniao Brand President Lü Xiulan stated, "What Guireniao is doing now is precisely using technology and products to help people transition from wondering *how* to run or being *afraid* to run, to running more safely and comfortably. This is the very significance of Guireniao's ten-year persistence: to make sports accessible without higher barriers, allowing more people to enjoy and participate." The forum discussion repeatedly circled back to a more fundamental question: Why are people willing to venture outdoors in the harsh cold? The answers point to a reassessed emotional value—the sense of achievement from overcoming personal limits, the belonging found within running groups, and a long-term identification with a healthy lifestyle. These factors, combined, elevate winter running from a mere exercise choice to a stable investment in a lifestyle. From this perspective, winter running represents a typical "high ROI" health investment. A run in the winter not only revitalizes bodily functions and uplifts mood but also maintains cardiopulmonary function and bone strength, reducing long-term health risks. Through repeatedly braving the cold, an individual's discipline and resilience are continuously strengthened, while interactions and support within running groups solidify into stable community bonds, collectively building the rich and enduring appeal of winter running.
When considering the biggest obstacle to winter sports, the same answer likely surfaces for many: slipping. This was also the key conclusion drawn by Guireniao after extensive interviews with real runners. Further research by Guireniao revealed that "slipping" is not caused by a single factor but results from the combined effects of wet and slippery roads, icy conditions, and ground surfaces hardened by low temperatures. Focusing on these real-world scenarios and pain points, Guireniao identified "anti-slip" as the core R&D direction for its new winter products, serving as the critical link between runner experience and product innovation. As the host emphasized at the event, passionate winter running starts with the first step, and safety is the prerequisite for all experience. At the event on December 19, Guireniao simultaneously held the launch ceremony for its Anti-Slip μ Technology, systematically showcasing the brand's latest achievements in anti-slip technology to the public for the first time. The Anti-Slip μ Technology incorporates systematic optimizations in material selection, structural design, and real-road feedback, aiming not merely to improve technical parameters but to enhance runners' sense of stability and confidence under actual road conditions.
At the launch, representatives from running groups with long-term winter running experience were invited on stage. They shared their real-life experiences running in severe winter conditions and exchanged feedback with the brand regarding the new products' performance in typical scenarios like wet and icy surfaces. Starting from user needs has always been Guireniao's consistent principle. Based on this philosophy, Guireniao also extended a more open co-creation invitation to runners both on-site and online: beyond anti-slip performance, every piece of feedback concerning warmth, waterproofing, night-running reflective safety, and even material comfort and environmental attributes will serve as crucial references for the product's continuous evolution. This product logic—derived from runners and returning to runners—forms a vital foundation for the long-term operation of Guireniao's winter running ecosystem. The event concluded with the "Happy Sports Alliance" accreditation ceremony, the recognition of "Ten-Year Honorary Running Groups," and the announcement of award results for the 123 National Winter Running Day Tenth Anniversary SINA Finance Online Check-in Competition. As the names of various running groups were announced, the轮廓 of the community that has persistently participated in winter running over the past decade became clearer—it is these runners and groups distributed across city parks, streets, and communities that have transformed winter running from a singular event into a sustainable urban sports landscape.
Finally, the special event drew to a successful close with the "Tenth Anniversary Relay Run" ceremony. A commemorative torch and the Winter Running Day flag, symbols of the decade-long initiative, were successively passed to representatives of the running groups. Multiple group captains raised them together, leading all runners in the starting run. The converging torch and flag during the run transformed the accumulated perseverance and aspirations of ten years into the starting point for the next decade.
The special event on December 19 was a highly condensed presentation. Behind it lies the winter running community network and national sports culture that Guireniao has gradually built over ten years through online and offline integration. Marking this tenth anniversary milestone, Guireniao planned a series of diverse activities centered around winter running. On the online front, from December 3 to December 20, Guireniao partnered with Yuedongquan to launch the National Winter Running Online Check-in Challenge. This initiative helped spread winter running from the persistence of a core few to a broader population, truly making winter running an "accessible-to-all" daily choice. Offline, winter running was further embedded into the specific spaces of cities. During the 123 National Winter Running Day period, Guireniao collaborated with running groups across multiple regions in China to launch nationwide winter running response activities, gradually establishing a Guireniao Sports Alliance covering various cities. Online activities stimulated participation enthusiasm, while offline events solidified real-world scenarios, creating a complementary closed-loop structure. It is through this synergy that the 123 National Winter Running Day transitioned from a periodic event into an ecological project, endowing winter running—a sport originally constrained by season—with greater sustainability and scalability.
"Better Life, Simple Run": Extending from Winter Running to a Year-Round Lifestyle Winter running serves not only as Guireniao's seasonal entry point into national fitness but also as a clear component of the brand's long-term development. Through winter running, Guireniao has validated a core belief: sports need not be complicated; when closely aligned with real life, they can become a sustainable daily choice. Guided by this logic, Guireniao has extended the experience accumulated from winter running into the year-round communication theme of "Better Life, Simple Run." The brand continuously expands the life scenarios where running can occur at different times, allowing the concept of "Happy Sports, Healthy Life" to integrate seamlessly into daily routines, unrestricted by season. At the Beijing Better Life Expo in June, Guireniao, in partnership with SINA Finance, initiated the "Better Life, Simple Run" campaign. Through immersive exhibitions and interactive experiences, it conveyed the brand philosophy that "running is a simple way to a better life" to the public. Then, on the National Fitness Day in August, Guireniao launched the "Run Right After Work" themed activity. By designing scenarios that fit real-life rhythms, running was naturally incorporated into post-work碎片时间, also activating the sports consumption potential of the working population. From expos to fitness festivals, from weekends to weekdays, from summer training to winter running, Guireniao continually expands the temporal and spatial possibilities for running. Behind these year-round practices lies a clear shift in the brand's role—it is no longer just an advocate for a single sport but, through the construction of diverse scenarios, an enabler of multiple active lifestyles.
Conclusion: A Decade of Winter Running Building an Ecosystem, Guireniao Leads the Charge in Heating Up the "Cold Economy" Looking back on the ten-year journey of the "123 National Winter Running Day," from initially breaking the ice with the concept of winter running to refining product offerings and connecting running communities, Guireniao has progressively developed winter running from the perseverance of a few into a national sports scene with scale and industrial value. In this process, winter, traditionally a "cold zone" for sports consumption, has been continuously activated, gradually revealing stable and resilient growth potential. More importantly, Guireniao does not treat winter running as a single product category or isolated event. Instead, focusing on real scenarios and genuine needs, it continuously enhances technological capabilities, community networks, and participation mechanisms. Whether it's the Anti-Slip μ Technology addressing winter safety pain points or the community network formed through online-offline integration, the underlying direction points towards a systematic layout for the long-term value of winter sports. Standing at the starting line of the next decade, as national fitness deepens and health consumption upgrades, the potential for winter sports will continue to expand. Guireniao will persist in leading winter sports trends through genuine user insights, contributing to the nation's health.
Comments