Chiang Dao 160

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1431m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 42% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 1342m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• 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 125km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 145km 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–15.9km · Climb of 877m. 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 · 15.9km–80.7km · Descent of 508m averaging 14%, descent of 1431m averaging 12%, descent of 1125m averaging 6%. Plus 2 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 80.7km–145km · Descent of 673m averaging 13%, descent of 1162m averaging 9%, climb of 1210m. Plus 4 more climbs and 2 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. 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 145km–164km · Descent of 1342m averaging 7%. 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, 40% of the distance is uphill, 41% downhill and 19% flat. The longest climb runs 14.7km at an average 8.2% grade (1202m of vertical). The longest descent runs 18.6km at an average 6.1% grade (1125m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 37.6% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 42.4% over 0.2km. Surface: 43% smooth, 34% trail, and 21% road.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 16.9km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 74 of 100), with 45% of the load in the first half: 5 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 125km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 145km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #3 · 15.9–19.5 km · 508 m D−, -13.8% · 144.0 km ahead → control
• #1 · 34.3–46.1 km · 1431 m D−, -12.1% · 117.4 km ahead → control
• #2 · 62.1–80.7 km · 1125 m D−, -6.1% · 82.8 km ahead → control
• #4 · 92.0–97.2 km · 673 m D−, -12.8% · 66.3 km ahead → control
• #5 · 111.7–125.3 km · 1162 m D−, -8.5% · 38.2 km ahead → control
• 145.3–163.5 km · 1342 m D−, -7.4% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 2 more notable descents not listed: your pace.