Racing in 35-degree Freak Weather
Trail Running in China
Every race in China is an adventure. Races are (obviously) in the countryside which can mean traveling to small towns, then onwards to a national park or scenic area. On Friday I traveled to Lingshan, a scenic mountain area near Shangrao, a small town in Jiangxi Province, China — 500km and about three hours travel by high-speed train from Shanghai. Traveling at speeds of up to 380km an hour, these trains and their new railway network have made it possible to attend races in places that were previously inaccessible or simply too far away for a weekend jaunt.
The Shangrao Lingshan 100 Ultra Trail was in a stunning spot — the mountain range loomed above the race start cutting a jagged outline against the sky. I stayed in a local guesthouse — basic but within walking distance to the race start. In China it is sometimes difficult to find taxis in the countryside, especially at 5am so I always try to stay close to the race start. Waking at 4am I have breakfast (chia porridge and coffee — I need caffeine and bring my own supplies). At 5am I head to the start line with my race bag and changeover bag (for use at Checkpoint 6 out of the total 10).
Shanghai where I live is flat and I always enjoy getting to the hills. Race routes in China typically cut through rice paddies, tea plantations and bamboo forests. The terrain can be tracks, ancient trading paths with broken stone steps or simply fresh routes following ribbons through the forest. There is usually a segment on paved road.
We start off at 6am after singing the Chinese national anthem, some warmup exercises and a start gun fired by some local government officials. 100k and 50k start together and head up the road (the 30k group start an hour later). After a couple of km uphill we turn off and start on an ancient route climbing steeply through the forest. We start at 170m above sea level and at 1046m we reach the first checkpoint, refill our water and grab snacks. We then carry on to reach the summit at 1386m and follow a winding path that has been added to the side of the mountain. I have a slight fear of slipping off these paths so I take it slowly as we wind around the top of the mountain. Just two hours in the sun is getting strong. I have a cap, sunglasses, sunblock, arm sleeves and I am consciously drinking water to ensure I don’t become dehydrated. Gatorade is served at the checkpoints and I find myself unusually drawn to it (at every race I find myself sticking to one particular drink — during one winter race I drank the malt drink Ovaltine and another seaweed soup. Sweet ginger tea is often served).
It is getting warm but there are cold streams bubbling down the mountain. Like many of the runners I stop to wash my face and hands to cool down. While the top of the mountain is exposed rock, the descent down the mountain is in the shade. I pass two more checkpoints and then start a particularly steep climb. It is sunny in the forest but feels hot. Runners rest in the shade then carry on uphill in a steady, determined way. I walk in the shade and enjoy the beauty of the trees and bamboo towering above me as I climb up treading over a mix of ancient stones, soft earth and leaves.
It feels tough and although I am tempted to rest I keep going using my sticks to push uphill. At the top of the mountain there is a small stone gateway which provide cover. Like a couple of other runners, I sit down for a moment to recover from the climb then run down the mountain to the next checkpoint. I am slow going uphill but fast going downhill in contrast to many of the other runners (especially some of the locals who seem to breeze effortlessly over the hills).
I get to the next checkpoint. I refill my water and grab some snacks ready to move on, but a lady stops me. They have just been informed that the race has been suspended due to the heat. It is hotter than I thought — 35 degrees Celsius! All of the runners have to wait for more updates then we are told to return to the start point.
We are in a small village. A small shop does a roaring trade in ice cream and cold water as we wait and exchange race stories. A bus is sent to pick us up but it can’t drive up the road due to overhead cables so we walk in the hot sun through fields for a couple of km and eventually spot our transport.
8 hours in. We have covered 32km and climbed 2400m. The hardest parts of the race have been completed but the danger of the unexpected heat is real. Some of the runners are suffering and the risk is too high. By coincidence it is exactly three years since China lost 20 trail runners in a freak weather accident so safety is everything and the organisers are aware of the risks.
35 degrees Celsius can feel hot especially in direct sun. Medical care in China is improving but most small villages and third-tier cities lack the facilities to cope with a sudden influx of casualties — especially trail runners. Did I want to continue my race? Of course, I did but trail racing in China is fast-growing and it is essential that it is safe and well-managed to prevent avoidable accidents otherwise nobody will want to host races. The hills will always be there and I have already run over 500k of races in 2024 so I can’t complain. Until the next race!
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