Les Foulees de la Soie (The Silk Road Race)

Foulées de la Soie (The Silk Road Race) is a two week stage race that travels the length and breadth of China. The itinerary varies a little each year, but usually includes Beijing, Xi’an, the Gobi Desert and Xiahe on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. The race attracts a different sort of runner from the extreme desert races as the stages are shorter and often set in populated areas. More importantly it is different because there is also a strong rationale of exploration and cultural exchange to the race. The course touches some fascinating areas of China. Racers are encouraged to get out and see them. You will run in some superb locations including ancient city ramparts, the Great Wall of China, the Summer Palace outside Beijing and in the dunes of the Gobi. There are ten or eleven stages to the race each year, which vary from 10km to half marathon; some are races, others are time trials, for example on the ramparts and the Great Wall.

Foulées de la Soie 2002
Foulées de la Soie 2002 took place on August 3rd-18th. There were some changes from previous years, with visits for the first time to the area around Xining in Qing Hai. There were 199 competitors (of which 30 were walkers). The cost was £1995 (ex Paris). Generally the race is booked up soon after the brochures come out in the previous October.

Extreme Quotient
While Foulées de la Soie is not an ‘extreme’ race in the sense of the longer desert races, the environment can still be testing, very humid in places, hot and dry in others (the Gobi Desert) and there is often also considerable elevation gain. Many stages are also run at altitude (over 10,000 feet). Expect the pace at the front of the field to be fierce because there is usually a small group of very accomplished runners in the competition. If the running sections become too much, the organisers allow runners to enter the walking section for the day instead (with a time penalty).