TransLantau 50

Race strategy

Run easy on the first mountain, then go all out on the second.

• Steep 30% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 478m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 33.6km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.2km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.2km–8.7km · 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 8.7km–21.9km · Descent of 478m averaging 8%, climb of 849m, high point 790m. 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 · 21.9km–33.6km · Descent of 970m averaging 8%. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 33.6km–50.9km · 17.3km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

By gradient, 37% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 20% flat. The longest climb runs 7.3km at an average 11.6% grade (849m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.7km at an average 8.3% grade (970m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 30.0% over 0.9km. The steepest descent drops at 34.8% over 0.5km. Surface: 59% smooth, 22% trail, and 19% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 77.9 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 7.1km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 31 of 100), with 52% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 33.6km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 8.7–14.6 km · 478 m D−, -8.1% · 36.3 km ahead → control
• #2 · 21.9–33.6 km · 970 m D−, -8.3% · 17.3 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 18°C to 25°C, with around 20°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 22%.

Results

525 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Bogdan Damian (Romania) in 4:58:38. Women's winner: Cho Yu Lam (Hong Kong) in 6:54:53.