Ultra-Trail Shudao by UTMB®
Ultra-Trail Shudao by UTMB® – CSD 70K
Zhaohua Ancient Town
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The CSD 70K is a mid-distance ultra at Ultra-Trail Shudao by UTMB, a 71 km loop that starts and finishes at Zhaohua Ancient Town. It carries 2,922 m of positive climbing and a high point of 1,132 m, making it a genuine mountain ultra without the extreme vertical of the longer Shudao distances. Run along the trails of the historic Shu road region, the CSD is a rolling, undulating course rather than one built around a single decisive mountain. After an early climb out of Zhaohua Ancient Town it settles into a long stretch of mid-mountain running, linking a chain of villages and rural landmarks before dropping back to the ancient town for the finish. It rewards runners who can hold a steady rhythm over rolling terrain and who fuel consistently across a course with generously spaced but not frequent aid.
The course: a 71 km loop from Zhaohua Ancient Town
The CSD 70K is a single loop of 71 km beginning and ending at Zhaohua Ancient Town (469 m), with 2,922 m of total ascent. That averages a little over 40 m of climb per kilometre, a moderate-to-firm density that marks it as a proper trail ultra but a more even-tempered one than the steeper races in the Shudao and Mount Yun families. The high point of 1,132 m means the climbing is spread across rolling ground rather than concentrated in one big summit push. The checkpoint profile shows a course that climbs early and then undulates. From Zhaohua Ancient Town the trail rises to Niutou Village at 13.3 km (923 m), then rolls through Dachaoyi (853 m at 26.1 km), Chaoyang Village (776 m), the crew point at Hejiaba (857 m at 44.8 km), Gaomiaopu (887 m) and Shanshui Rural Family Inn (945 m at 62.4 km) before the descent back to Zhaohua Ancient Town (468 m). The elevations stay in a fairly tight mid-mountain band for most of the loop, so the challenge is sustained undulation rather than any single wall of a climb.
Where the race is won and lost
The most significant single effort is the opening climb. From the start at Zhaohua Ancient Town (469 m) the course gains around 450 m to reach Niutou Village at 13.3 km (923 m), the first real test of the day and the point at which the field begins to spread. It is important not to over-commit here, because the bulk of the course's 2,922 m of climb is delivered afterwards in a long series of smaller ups and downs that quietly add up. From Niutou Village onward the CSD becomes a race of rhythm and management. The rolling middle section through Dachaoyi, Chaoyang Village, Hejiaba and Gaomiaopu never lets you settle into pure flat running, and the repeated small climbs are where a strong, patient runner pulls away from one who spent too much early. The crew point at Hejiaba (44.8 km) is the natural pivot of the race: reach it feeling controlled and the final third through Shanshui Rural Family Inn (62.4 km) and the descent home is very runnable; arrive there depleted and the closing kilometres back to Zhaohua Ancient Town become a grind.
Pacing and fuelling
The CSD publishes a single hard cut-off, at the finish in Zhaohua Ancient Town (Sun 02:30), which gives runners latitude to set their own pace through the intermediate points rather than chasing a series of intermediate gates. That freedom is a double-edged sword: without frequent cut-offs to enforce discipline, it is easy to drift, so set your own checkpoints mentally at Niutou Village (13.3 km), Hejiaba (44.8 km) and Shanshui Rural Family Inn (62.4 km) and hold yourself to a plan. Aid points are spaced across the loop but not tightly packed, with meaningful gaps such as the stretch from Hejiaba (44.8 km) to Gaomiaopu (50.5 km) and on to Shanshui Rural Family Inn (62.4 km). Carry enough fluid and calories to cover roughly 10-12 km of undulating trail between reliable stops, and use the crew point at Hejiaba to reset properly for the back half. Because the climbing is spread rather than front-loaded, steady fuelling from the opening climb pays dividends late; the final descent to Zhaohua Ancient Town is only fast if you have eaten well enough to hold form through the rolling middle.
Terrain and conditions to expect
This is mid-mountain terrain that stays largely between roughly 470 m and 1,130 m, winding through the villages and rural landmarks of the historic Shu road country: Niutou Village, Chaoyang Village, Hejiaba, Gaomiaopu and the Shanshui Rural Family Inn. Expect a mixture of climbs and descents linking these settlements rather than long high-exposure ridgelines, with the lowest and warmest ground at the start and finish in Zhaohua Ancient Town. With a start-line altitude under 500 m and a high point of just 1,132 m, altitude is not a factor here; the demands are the cumulative undulation and, given the Sun 02:30 finish cut-off, the likelihood of running into the night. Plan for changing footing across the rolling loop and for cooler conditions after dark in the lower valley sections. A modest but genuine mountain ultra, the CSD rewards even pacing, disciplined fuelling and legs prepared for repeated short climbs rather than one big ascent.
Race Ultra-Trail Shudao by UTMB® – CSD 70K with Crux
Get the strategy, fuelling and crew plan dialled for this exact course — built from the real route, climbs and cut-offs. Your first race is free.
Plan this race — freeCourse profile
Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 469 m · —
13.3 km · 923 m · —
26.1 km · 853 m · —
36.1 km · 776 m · —
44.8 km · 857 m · —
50.5 km · 887 m · —
62.4 km · 945 m · —
70.5 km · 468 m · Sun 02:30
More races
More UTMB World Series
More in China
Similar distance (50–100 km)
Racing Ultra-Trail Shudao by UTMB® – CSD 70K?
Get a complete race strategy — pacing, fuelling, crew plan and the crux moments — built on this exact course.
Plan your race in Crux →Strava is your training. Crux is your races.