Thaiwoo 50 (Team)

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 315m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Start easy and control your HR up to 14.6km.
• Hold your race pace up to 30.2km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 23.1km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 42.4km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.0km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.0km–14.6km · Descent of 315m averaging 13%. 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 · 14.6km–30.2km · Climb of 462m, high point 2035m, descent of 333m averaging 14%. Plus 2 more climbs and 2 descents. 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 · 30.2km–42.4km · Plus 1 more climb 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 42.4km–49.5km · Descent of 400m 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 2332m+. With 46m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 15% flat. The longest climb runs 6.6km at an average 6.9% grade (451m of vertical). The longest descent runs 10.9km at an average 7.4% grade (800m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 34.0% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 32.8% over 0.4km. Surface: 28% trail, 25% road, and 19% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 73.5 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 7.9km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 35 of 100), with 42% 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 23.1km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 42.4km.
• #1 · 6.6–9.0 km · 315 m D−, -12.9% · 40.4 km ahead → control
• #2 · 20.7–23.1 km · 333 m D−, -13.7% · 26.3 km ahead → control
• 25.9–28.9 km · 311 m D−, -10.3% · 20.6 km ahead → your pace
• 30.2–41.1 km · 800 m D−, -7.4% · 8.4 km ahead → your pace
• 42.4–49.4 km · 400 m D−, -5.6% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 17°C to 25°C, with around 21°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 49%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 9% of days around this date.