We are finally on the way to Dali. I’m sitting now in a shuttle bus which will bring the runners from Kunming airport to Dali, one of the main tourist cities here in Yunnan. We should be arrive after a 5 hour bus ride.
About the race I have not so many information as I like to have. There is no gpx-file available for the 2015 race track, so I have to run completely according the markers.
It will be around 7PM when we will arrive in Dali. Then we pick up our gear, the race briefing will start thereafter and then I need to go and check in at my hotel. Then I need to prepare the race gear and dropbag. So it will be a not so relaxed evening.
Dali is located on 2000m and after the first 8km at the race, a steep ascent of 1950m start and bring is within 10km running distance up to 4000m. It’s 20% ascent. That is extremely steep! If it is a rough single trail I’m able to climb 500m/hour. 
So that means I’m around 4 hours on the ascent! Last year there was 89 finishers and only 7 made it under 16 hours and got their gold-trophy therefore. The cut-off time is 24 hours, which should be doable. I’m planning to get the silver trophy which finishers will get if they come in under 20 hours. But 100km are so long and the race track is new, so it is very hard to calculate and manage things upfront. In Austria this summer I showed that I can do an alpine 100k run within 16 hours, but every race is different. I have to wait until I’m back in Dali during the night and covered with sweat.
