The Shanghai leg of the 2026 Non-stop Canicross, a human-canine cross-country race organized as part of the 2026 Shanghai Amateur Games, wrapped up in Miaohang town, Baoshan district, on April 18.

As a professional European event making its debut in China, the race attracted 100 teams of human-canine partners from across the city to compete.

Breaking away from the standard 5-kilometer distance for international Canicross races, the Shanghai leg was reduced to 2 km in line with the characteristics of the city's urban green spaces.

Originating from the summer training regime of European sled dogs, Canicross has grown into a popular outdoor sport favored by hundreds of thousands of human-pet families worldwide. It is not merely walking or running with a dog; instead, it uses professional traction gear to synchronize the running pace and foster mutual responsiveness between humans and dogs.

The event also featured exclusive warm-up routines for humans and pets, as well as a debut runway show.

Zha Jianning, the organizer of the event, hopes Canicross will elevate the bond between humans and dogs from "companionship" to "collaboration", and encourage them to step outdoors. "This is more than a sports competition — it is a public education initiative on trust, responsibility and love," Zha said.