MMY 50K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 43% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 638m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 784m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 24.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 37.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.3km–12.8km · Climb of 973m, high point 1613m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 12.8km–24.5km · Descent of 638m averaging 11%, descent of 410m averaging 15%. Plus 1 more climb. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 24.5km–37.6km · Plus 2 more climbs and 1 descent. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 37.6km–47.0km · Descent of 784m averaging 8%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

By gradient, 44% of the distance is uphill, 35% downhill and 22% flat. The longest climb runs 12.8km at an average 7.6% grade (973m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.4km at an average 8.4% grade (784m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 42.5% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 37.5% over 0.3km. Surface: 69% trail and 7% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 66.6 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 8.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 30 of 100), with 46% 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 24.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 37.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 12.8–18.5 km · 638 m D−, -11.1% · 28.5 km ahead → control
• #2 · 21.9–24.5 km · 410 m D−, -15.4% · 22.5 km ahead → control
• 32.0–33.8 km · 345 m D−, -19.2% · 13.2 km ahead → your pace
• 37.6–47.0 km · 784 m D−, -8.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 10°C to 18°C, with around 12°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 25%.

Results

1,926 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Tao Luo (China) in 4:08:31. Women's winner: Ting Zhang (China) in 5:16:39.