JD Ultra-Trail Great Wall by UTMB®
JD Ultra-Trail Great Wall by UTMB® – NGW30
Dajingmen
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The NGW30 is the short-course event of JD Ultra-Trail Great Wall by UTMB, a 31 km loop that starts and finishes at Dajingmen. Do not let the distance fool you: with 1667 m of positive gain squeezed into those 31 km, this is a genuinely steep day, averaging well over fifty metres of climb per kilometre. The high point sits at 1161 m and the course threads the ridgelines and valleys around the historic Great Wall gate of Dajingmen (810 m). This is a loop for runners who like short, sharp, repeatedly punchy terrain rather than one long grind. The named checkpoints stay clustered between roughly 946 m and 995 m, which tells you the elevation profile is a saw-tooth of short climbs and drops rather than a single big summit push. Expect to power-hike the steep pitches and run the runnable saddles.
The course and terrain
The NGW30 is a single loop out of Dajingmen (810 m at the start, 798 m on return). From the gate the route runs to Tanyi Valley at 9.8 km (946 m), then climbs and rolls to Caishi Village at 17.2 km (995 m), the highest named checkpoint on the loop. From there it passes Cuiping'An Village at 21.2 km (974 m) before the final run back to Dajingmen to close the 31 km circuit. The overall high point of 1161 m is reached on the unmarked ground between checkpoints, so the sharpest climbing is not always where the aid stations are. With only four checkpoints across 31 km but 1667 m of vertical, the terrain between them does the real work. The near-constant checkpoint altitude band around 950-995 m masks a profile that keeps rising and dropping, which is characteristic of running the folds and spurs beneath the Great Wall. Treat this as a technical, undulating loop rather than a fast rolling one, and keep your footing honest on the descents.
Where the race is decided
On a course this short with this much climb, the race is won or lost on how efficiently you handle the repeated steep pitches rather than on one signature ascent. The gain from Dajingmen (810 m) out toward the high point at 1161 m is not delivered in a single clean climb; because every checkpoint sits close to 950-995 m, you are constantly regaining height you have just given back. Runners who surge every rise and brake every drop will burn out; runners who settle into a steady power-hike uphill and stay relaxed and quick-footed downhill will move through the field. The stretch from Caishi Village (17.2 km, 995 m) through Cuiping'An Village (21.2 km, 974 m) and back down to the 798 m finish is where fatigue bites. That closing section drops roughly 200 m of net height over the last ten kilometres but does so over broken ground, so the quads take a beating late. Save something for those final descents into Dajingmen.
Pacing and fuelling to the cut-offs
The enforced barriers are at Caishi Village (17.2 km, Sun 11:30), Cuiping'An Village (21.2 km, Sun 13:00) and the Dajingmen finish (31 km, Sun 16:30). The tightest squeeze is the first 17.2 km to Caishi, which front-loads a large share of the 1667 m of climb; reach Caishi with margin in hand and the rest of the loop opens up. The short 4 km leg to Cuiping'An carries a generous 90-minute window, and the final 9.8 km back to the gate is given 3.5 hours, so the pressure eases as the loop unwinds. Fuel for the effort, not the distance. Because you are climbing steeply and often, energy demand runs higher than a flat 31 km would suggest. Aid spacing of roughly 9.8 km, then 7.4 km, then 4 km, then 9.8 km means you should top up your own carry at every checkpoint and carry enough between Cuiping'An and the finish to cover that last unsupported push. Aim to leave each checkpoint eating and drinking, not just refilling.
Conditions to expect
The loop tops out at 1161 m in the hills around Dajingmen, high enough that exposure on the ridgelines can mean wind and swings between sun and chill, while the valley sections near the 810 m start can feel considerably warmer. Because the profile constantly moves you between exposed high ground and sheltered folds, dress in layers you can shed and add rather than committing to one setup for the whole loop. Underfoot, expect the mixed, broken trail typical of Great Wall terrain: rocky steps, steep dirt pitches and firmer track on the connecting saddles. Grippy, well-cushioned shoes pay off on the repeated descents, and trekking discipline on the climbs will conserve the legs you need for the final drop back to the 798 m finish at Dajingmen. Check the forecast in the days before and plan your carried kit around the temperature spread between the high points and the valley floor.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 810 m · —
9.8 km · 946 m · —
17.2 km · 995 m · Sun 11:30
21.2 km · 974 m · Sun 13:00
31 km · 798 m · Sun 16:30
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