About RCE 120K
RCE 120K is the 120km ultra trail at TengChong Gaoligong Ultra 2027 (Tengchong, China). The race starts on March 20, 2027.
Race strategy
Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.
- 1292m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
- Big early climb with 1330m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
- Final 790m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
- 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 64.6km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 106km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
- Settle in · 1.8km–16.2km · Climb of 1064m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
- Work · 16.2km–56.5km · Descent of 1292m averaging 10%, high point 2415m, climb of 1328m, descent of 474m averaging 14%. 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 · 56.5km–106km · Descent of 862m averaging 11%, climb of 1154m. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
- Home · 106km–119km · Descent of 790m averaging 6%. 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.
Course
By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 41% downhill and 18% flat. The longest climb runs 16.2km at an average 6.6% grade (1064m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.5km at an average 5.9% grade (790m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 31.7% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 29.2% over 0.2km.
Poles
Poles bring little benefit here: only about 18.7km of pole-friendly terrain.
