DSD 100K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 540m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 543m 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 33.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 91.9km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 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–12.1km · Climb of 774m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 12.1km–33.5km · Descent of 278m averaging 6%, descent of 540m averaging 6%. 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.
• Fade · 33.5km–91.9km · 16.5km of runnable trail, high point 1083m. Plus 1 more climb. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 91.9km–98.8km · Descent of 543m 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.

Course

By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 33% downhill and 32% flat. The longest climb runs 12.1km at an average 6.4% grade (774m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.2km at an average 5.9% grade (540m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 28.0% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 69.2% over 0.2km. Surface: 47% trail, 30% road, and 6% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 122.8 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 8.0km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 39 of 100), with 49% 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 33.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 91.9km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #2 · 12.1–16.4 km · 278 m D−, -6.5% · 82.3 km ahead → control
• #1 · 24.4–33.5 km · 540 m D−, -5.9% · 65.2 km ahead → control
• 91.9–98.8 km · 543 m D−, -7.9% · 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 16°C, with around 10°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 24%.

Results

758 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Tao Luo (China) in 8:56:47. Women's winner: Yalan Wu (China) in 11:10:44.