Yunding 30

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 310m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Start easy and control your HR up to 5.8km.
• Hold your race pace up to 19.3km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 18.0km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 19.3km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–5.8km · Descent of 310m averaging 10%. Plus 1 more climb. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
• Work · 5.8km–19.3km · Descent of 799m averaging 7%, high point 1999m. Plus 2 more climbs. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
• Home · 19.3km–26.4km · Descent of 402m averaging 6%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 1283m+. With 46m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 32% of the distance is uphill, 51% downhill and 17% flat. The longest climb runs 2.8km at an average 8.9% grade (249m of vertical). The longest descent runs 10.9km at an average 7.3% grade (799m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 34.1% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 32.5% over 0.4km. Surface: 52% trail and 25% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 38.9 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.7km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 22 of 100), with 51% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 18.0km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 19.3km.
• #1 · 2.8–5.8 km · 310 m D−, -10.4% · 20.6 km ahead → control
• #2 · 7.1–18.0 km · 799 m D−, -7.3% · 8.4 km ahead → control
• 19.3–26.4 km · 402 m D−, -5.7% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 16°C to 24°C, with around 20°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 49%.

Results

2,090 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Aiai Shi (China) in 2:06:39. Women's winner: Kaili Wang (China) in 2:34:59.