Media

29 November 2023, Hong Kong – Xtep International Holdings Limited (the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) (Stock code: 1368.HK), leading PRC-based professional sportswear enterprise, announces that its "160X" championship running shoes have dominated wear rate among sub-3 hour runners at the Shanghai and Beijing Marathons, surpassing renowned international brands and receiving significant market recognition. This achievement has once again affirmed Xtep's exceptional product capabilities.

The Shanghai Marathon, acclaimed as the "World Athletics Platinum Label Road Race", attracted a total of 38,000 runners from around the world. Among them were more than 30 international elite athletes, who shared the stage with a lineup of Chinese elite athletes, including Wu Xiangdong, Renjia JIA'E, Zhang Deshun, Bai Li and others. Equipped with Xtep's "160X 5.0 PRO" running shoes, Wu Xiangdong achieved a monumental feat by clinching his first domestic championship in a Platinum Label race, marking a significant milestone in his professional career. This triumph in Shanghai serves as a continuation of his exceptional performances of 2:10:02 at the Wuxi Marathon held in March and the Beijing Marathon in October earlier this year.

From 2019 to 2023, Xtep's "160X" championship running shoes have demonstrated remarkable product strength and brand influence, evolving from the “160X” to the “160X 3.0 PRO” and now the “160X 5.0 PRO”. These advancements have helped numerous athletes achieve their marathon victories. As of the end of October this year, Xtep has helped a total of 73 Chinese athletes in securing 328 championships, including three championships in the past four Shanghai Marathons:

• 2019 - Yang Dinghong, wearing Xtep's “160X”, won the domestic men's championship at the Shanghai Marathon with a time of 2:15:21
• 2022 - Yang Shaohui, wearing Xtep's “160X PRO”, won the men's championship at the Shanghai Marathon with a time of 2:16:04
• 2023 - Wu Xiangdong, wearing Xtep's “160X 5.0 PRO”, won the domestic men's championship at the Shanghai Marathon, with a time of 2:11:53

According to the statistics released by the race organizing committee, a total of 1,164 athletes finished the race within three hours at this year's Shanghai Marathon. According to the 2023 Shanghai Marathon Data Report published by Joyrun, Xtep achieved the top position with a 35.5% wear rate among sub-3 hour athletes at the 2023 Shanghai Marathon. Among them, Xtep's ‘‘160X 5.0 PRO’’ and ‘‘160X 3.0 PRO’’ accounted for 19.4% and 13.8%, respectively, ranking first and second in the wear rate among sub-3 hour runners.

Furthermore, Xtep has maintained its leading position in the sub-3 hour wear rate in the 2023 Beijing Marathon. A total of 2,402 athletes completed the race within three hours, with Xtep running shoes being worn by 35.6% of the runners, surpassing the second and third ranked internationally recognized brands. Compared to the 2022 Beijing Marathon, the wear rate of Xtep's running shoes has soared by 7.7 times. Xtep's "160X 5.0 PRO" claimed the top spot with 17.8% share among the sub-3 hour running shoes, while the "160X 3.0 PRO" took the third place. In addition, among all brands, Xtep ranked first with 28.1% wear rate among the finishers of the Beijing Marathon, which includes a larger population of mass market runners.

Xtep's wear rate ranks first among sub-3-hour athletes at the Shanghai Marathon		Xtep claims the top position in both the sub-3 hour wear rate and overall wear rate among finishers of the Beijing Marathon

With the development of marathon in China, the overall consumption level in China has increased rapidly, establishing it one of the largest running markets in the world. Since 2007, Xtep strategically positioned itself in the running field, accumulating abundant resources and experience, and taking a leading position in the market. In the field of road racing events, domestic brands represented by Xtep frequently appear on the award podium, garnering recognition from more and more mass market runners and consumers. Xtep has achieved numerous accomplishments, including setting records in both the half marathon and full marathon in China, winning the gold medal in the men's marathon at the Hangzhou sports event, and breaking the world championship women's marathon record. Xtep has also garnered support and brand recognition among elite athletes and mass market runners in top domestic marathons such as the Xiamen Marathon, Beijing Marathon, and Shanghai Marathon.

Mr. Ding Shui Po, Chairman and CEO of Xtep International Holdings Limited, said, “In 2012, Xtep unveiled its vision to ‘become the preferred brand among mass market runners’. Since then, Xtep has expanded its target audience from elite athletes to include mass market runners, solidifying its position itself as ‘preferred brand’. With the superior quality of Xtep's products and the driving force of ‘athletes and running’, an increasing number of domestic and international champion athletes have chosen Xtep running shoes. While the proficiency of mass market runners continues to improve, elite runners capable of completing a race within three hours are opting for Xtep products to help them achieve their personal best records. Xtep has now developed the competitive capability to rival international brands on the world stage, leading us to gradually fulfill the brand's new strategic positioning as ‘World-class Running Shoes by China Xtep’ .”