Chongli 100

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 520m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 29% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 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 54.2km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–12.5km · Descent of 330m averaging 11%. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 12.5km–54.2km · Descent of 520m averaging 7%, descent of 573m averaging 8%, descent of 727m averaging 6%. Plus 3 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.
• Fade · 54.2km–93.9km · Climb of 522m, high point 2134m. Plus 3 more climbs and 4 descents. 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 · 93.9km–103km · 8.8km 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

The course climbs 5000m+. With 49m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 39% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 18% flat. The longest climb runs 7.2km at an average 8.9% grade (643m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.6km at an average 6.3% grade (727m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 29.1% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 37.5% over 0.3km. Surface: 25% trail, 22% smooth, and 21% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 144.4 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 20.0km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 54 of 100), with 48% of the load in the first half: 4 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 54.2km, then run your race pace.
• #4 · 9.5–12.5 km · 330 m D−, -11.1% · 90.2 km ahead → control
• #1 · 18.8–26.0 km · 520 m D−, -7.3% · 76.8 km ahead → control
• #2 · 33.2–40.3 km · 573 m D−, -8.0% · 62.4 km ahead → control
• #3 · 42.7–54.2 km · 727 m D−, -6.3% · 48.5 km ahead → control
• 86.0–93.9 km · 775 m D−, -9.8% · 8.8 km ahead → your pace
• Plus 3 more notable descents not listed: your pace.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 20°C to 27°C, with around 15°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 49%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 12% of days around this date.