At nine on Friday night, the headtorches come on in Sichuan
By AthRecs Editorial · 2 min read
The long race at Ultra-Trail Shudao follows an ancient route from Jiange towards Zhaohua. This year its 100K category means 92 kilometres and 3,500 metres of climbing.
In a road race, the name on the entry form usually settles the distance. On Friday in northern Sichuan, a runner can enter the DSD 100K and reach the finish after 92 kilometres. That is the distance on the organiser’s current course sheet. The other number to read alongside it is 3,500 metres, the accumulated climb.
What the headtorch picks out
The start at Dashudao Buye Sanguo Town is at 21:00 local time on 6 November. For friends watching from Britain that is one o’clock on Friday afternoon. In Jiange the race begins in darkness. A runner can spend the first hours following the few metres of ground a headtorch picks out, on a route known for views that stretch across mountains.
The course follows the old Shu Road towards Zhaohua. Daping Mountain rises to 1,073 metres above sea level. The route takes in the twin peaks of Jianmen Pass, the old cypresses of the Cuiyun Corridor and the terraced fields at Chaotianping. The climb on the race sheet is more than three times the elevation of Daping’s summit because every ascent counts.
A finish line open into Saturday night
The time limit is 26 hours. Count that forward from Friday’s start and the last finishers can arrive at 23:00 on Saturday local time. A runner out that long will see the light come back and then fade again before reaching Zhaohua.
For somebody following their first ultra, those times are a better guide than comparing a kilometre split with a road marathon. Ask your runner which part of the old road they most hope to see in daylight. Then, when the next checkpoint comes through, you have something more interesting to picture than a dot on a map.
Quick answers
How long is the 2026 Shudao DSD 100K?
The organiser lists a 92km course with 3,500m of ascent, starting at 21:00 China Standard Time on Friday 6 November.
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