Pagoda 50 Night

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 444m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 925m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Steep 31% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 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 33.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 46.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 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–14.2km · Descent of 444m averaging 11%, climb of 874m. 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.
• Work · 14.2km–27.4km · Descent of 346m averaging 11%. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. 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.
• Fade · 27.4km–46.0km · Descent of 843m averaging 13%, climb of 1231m, high point 2151m. 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. 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 · 46.0km–55.1km · Descent of 925m averaging 10%. 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

The course climbs 3600m+. With 63m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 48% downhill and 11% flat. The longest climb runs 8.2km at an average 15.0% grade (1231m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.1km at an average 10.2% grade (925m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 33.4% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 44.2% over 0.3km. Surface: 54% trail, 24% smooth, and 21% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 87.0 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 9.1km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 40 of 100), with 43% of the load in the first half: 3 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 33.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 46.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 3.1–7.1 km · 444 m D−, -11.0% · 48.0 km ahead → control
• #3 · 14.2–17.3 km · 346 m D−, -11.0% · 37.8 km ahead → control
• #2 · 27.4–33.9 km · 843 m D−, -13.0% · 21.2 km ahead → control
• 46.0–55.1 km · 925 m D−, -10.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 20°C, with around 9°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 12%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 2% of days around this date.