Dragon's Back Race

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 40% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 1184m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• 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 146km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.5km–32.6km · 24.4km of runnable trail, high point 1050m, descent of 753m averaging 18%, climb of 812m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 32.6km–175km · Descent of 1184m averaging 12%, descent of 995m averaging 10%, descent of 1009m averaging 10%. Plus 8 more climbs and 6 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 175km–317km · Plus 2 more climbs and 6 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. 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 · 317km–382km · 64.7km 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 16400m+. With 43m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 33% of the distance is uphill, 34% downhill and 33% flat. The longest climb runs 8.5km at an average 10.8% grade (926m of vertical). The longest descent runs 10.9km at an average 8.6% grade (943m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 49.4% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 49.9% over 0.2km.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 32.4km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is extreme (index 91 of 100): more runnable descent than most 100-milers. Without downhill preparation the quads give out long before the finish.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 146km, then run your race pace.
• #3 · 24.4–28.5 km · 753 m D−, -18.3% · 353.3 km ahead → control
• #6 · 32.6–37.2 km · 677 m D−, -14.7% · 344.6 km ahead → control
• #1 · 42.4–52.3 km · 1184 m D−, -11.9% · 329.5 km ahead → control
• #2 · 59.3–69.2 km · 995 m D−, -10.0% · 312.6 km ahead → control
• #7 · 81.5–87.1 km · 453 m D−, -8.1% · 294.7 km ahead → control
• #5 · 94.1–105.0 km · 943 m D−, -8.6% · 276.8 km ahead → control
• #4 · 121.2–131.1 km · 1009 m D−, -10.3% · 250.8 km ahead → control
• #8 · 142.1–145.9 km · 430 m D−, -11.4% · 236.0 km ahead → control
• 312.2–317.2 km · 527 m D−, -10.7% · 64.7 km ahead → your pace
• Plus 6 more notable descents not listed: your pace.