This was the (High) 1 we wanted. It was the race we needed. Gorgeously cool, overcast weather coupled with the exploration of a lovely new mountain made for a terrific run. Add to that a bunch of super friendly runners, great organizers/staff and the cutest canine I’ve ever met – and that’s a recipe for an awesome race. The 2018 High1 Sky Marathon was our first trail marathon, and what a fun one it was!
Training for this trail
We signed up for the High1 Sky Marathon in April – as soon as registration for foreigners opened! This would be the second edition of the race, and after missing the first, we were determined to catch the second! We were excited about it for many reasons. We’d heard nothing but great things about it from friends who ran it the previous year, and we kept running into one of the organizers, who might be the friendliest person in Korean trail running, at other races. There was a joyful and inclusive vibe about this race, and we wanted to be part of it!
We were also excited about this race because we love exploring our province and the mountains it is famous for! And, this race featured one of our 120 summits…or so we thought! We later realized that that this was a classic case of mistaken Baegunsans. There are just so many – 36 I believe! (We wound up doing the other one as a brief, active recovery outing the morning after the race, but that’s a story for another time.)
And finally, this race would mark the end of our spring season. It had been a busy one, and we wanted to end it with a a great race. High1 Sky Marathon turned out to be a perfect choice for that!
In terms of training, after three races in the previous six weeks (Korea 50k, Tengri and Geoje Jimaek), the best thing we could do to prepare was study the course profile and take it easy! A good look at the course revealed that the largest 2 ascents (plus a big descent) were found in the first half of the race. So we planned to use our poles there, hike to conserve energy where appropriate, and then barrel downhill. Following the 4th or 5th checkpoint, we planned to put away our poles and run in for a fast finish, if possible!
Our training base seemed rock solid. Still, after all of those races, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. We hadn’t been following a ‘regular’ training plan in nearly 2 months! In between each race, we’d tried to find the balance between recovery from one race and tapering for the next, while still maintaining some weekly mileage to keep our legs fresh and our spirits high. During this particular taper, I felt some anxiety. Had we done too much – or not enough? My low dose of exercise-derived endorphins exacerbated my worries, and made the week before the race seem to drag by.
It was also both incredibly exciting and difficult to prepare for another race after Geoje. Although it was a physical problem that led to our decision to end the race early, it didn’t do us any favors mentally! We’d been in pretty low spirits following the race. So we were eager to have a great new experience, and regain the joy and confidence that running trails provide us both.
That experience did motivate us to do everything in our power to get this one right! Instead of dashing across the country to the starting line and taking on the race already exhausted, we took our time driving to High1. We made sure to get a nice motel, and get to it early! We made sure to eat some proper meals, too. All of this was possible because the race was on a Sunday and we did not have to work on the Saturday! So we were able to pick up our rental car on Saturday morning and make it to the race site by early afternoon. It was very lucky indeed and helped us arrive at the race feeling relaxed and ready to go.
Once on site, even the race check-in was fun! I got to meet Toto! I’m a huge fan of this adorable doggo, and this was my first chance to meet him in the flesh (or fur, in this case)! He is even more delightful in real life than he is in photos. I spent a good hour lurking around the check-in tables to shower him in kisses and pats.
The 2018 High1 Sky Marathon
On the morning of the 2018 High1 Sky Marathon, we woke up early, too excited to sleep in. We took our time getting ready, because we could! I ate a banana and drank a grapefruit juice early, but had to eat my energy bar in tiny bites over the course of about 30 minutes because I got too excited at the starting line!
Luckily, we ran into several friends. Good conversation helped to ease my nerves and remind me about why I love joining organized races in the first place!
We practiced counting down several times – agonizing hilarity. Then finally, it was 8 am, and really time to go! We wished the speedy friend we’d been hanging out with good luck, and we all took off! We looped around out of the starting corral, through a parking lot and were on the trail proper in about 2 minutes! It was lovely! The trail was narrow and rocky sections broke up stretches of hard-packed soil. The forest wrapped us in a blanket of green. And, starting so high, we immediately felt far from civilization. It was just us and a stream of other colorful runners, dashing up this mountain’s slopes together!
It all felt very familiar to me, thanks to the excellent video I’d watched several times in preparation for this race. I recognized tall stone cairns and unique ribbon placements on trees. And I knew what to expect in terms of terrain and forest cover, which was definitely an asset!
The first section was an ascent, but a very manageable one. There were a few sets of steps where everyone slowed to a hike, but for the most part, it was runnable! We’d occasionally swap positions in the group, but Kent and I stayed together. Heading along at a quick clip, we reached the 1st checkpoint at 3.9 kilometers before I even felt warmed up! The volunteers were especially friendly at this CP, set on a little gravel road mid-way up the mountain. We’d thought about skipping past, but opted instead to quickly grab a cup of Pocari each before dashing away.
Just under 2 kilometers in length – but over 400 meters in gain – separated CP1 from CP2. This next section saw the field of runners spread out a little more. We were no longer part of a herd. In fact, for a few minutes we were totally alone, and wound up chatting away in our usual way as we tackled a set of steps. We emerged from the forest once again, this time near the top of the mountain – and briefly back into civilization! There were statues decorating a huge picnic area and a massive revolving restaurant in a tower. We’d reached the top of the ski slopes, and it was time for cucumbers and bananas! One of each in hand, we thanked the volunteers, smiled for the photographers, and continued on our merry way!
I was very excited about this part along the ridge: we were on our way to see a new summit! After a brief journey through the forest and past a helipad, we popped out at the very top of Baegunsan, at 1426 meters. We had to pause for a photo, of course! Several speedy guys ran past us in a group, smiling at our poses with the summit stele.
After this little stop, the fun really began. A steep, 700 meter descent to CP3 was up next – and we wanted to test our newly acquired downhilling skills on it. So we really ran, giving ourselves over to gravity and trying not to put on the brakes and waste energy. That’s tough for me! It’s exhilarating to run full out downhill – but it requires a lot of trust. And it’s not easy with roots and rocks in the way! We actually saw one fellow sail airborne over a switchback and tumble head over heels into the bushes. He was unscathed, luckily. But it was a good reminder for us to stay alert and watch our feet! Kent was absolutely blazing. He dashed downhill ahead of me so fast that I half-expected to see him climbing back up again!
This section was also where the friendly really began. The first of two out-and-backs, we began descending with an eye out for faster friends coming up to meet us. For a while, the trail was silent, just one or two runners visible below and above us, headed the same way. Then, a Japanese runner in a white tank top rounded a bend at a steady clip! We burst into excited cheering. But where was our very fast friend Julian? Right behind, as it turned out, in fine form! We cheered even more. After the two leaders, we saw many people, all of whom cheered for us and all of whom we cheered on, too. We saw Martin, another very fast friend, in an amazing top ten position!
I decided immediately that this was one of my favorite features of the course. It was really nice to see everyone again and witness the unfolding race while running it! Great trails on a great mountain…made even better by great friends! This friend in particular always had something great to say to us whenever we saw him. This time he suggested the poles were a smart choice and that we’d like them even more on the way up!
A couple of kilometers of cheering and dashing downwards later, we burst out onto a gravel road above a little reservoir. There was CP3! At this CP we found a friend of ours who was volunteering. She cheered us on, and, after a cup of coke and another cucumber, on we went! We were headed right back where we came from on the biggest climb of the day!
Using our trekking poles did seem to be a smart strategy, as this uphill was not so runnable. We settled into a comfortable but hard hike, passing a few slower folks and chasing some faster ones. Racing down quickly, I hadn’t had much of a chance to look around anywhere beyond what was right in front of my feet. Hiking up, I now had a chance to appreciate the scenery. It was a rainforest; lush, green, wet and slightly misty the higher we climbed. There were also several nice forest bathing spots with wooden sun loungers!
Plus, now it was our job to encourage runners on the descent! We whooped and hollered so much that at one point I nearly lost my voice. We saw still more of our friends and many more familiar faces.
Reaching the ridge, we ran across a clearing and under the gondolas, for the second time. I spotted a youngster looking out the window at me and waved. On the other side of a little tunnel of forest, we reached the helipad where we would turn left and onto a new part of the course. To our surprise, this new trail was incredibly busy with hikers! But, much like our fellow runners, they were friendly and accommodating. They stood aside to let us pass, and cheered us on with shouts of ‘fighting’!
It was also busier in this area because we were now joining the 21k racers! We all ran together along a wide road to CP4. Arriving at the little aid station tent, we decided to go for some bananas and sports drinks before continuing on the road. We were delighted to see some other couples running together. We even posed for a photo requested by another duo who seemed equally happy to see us.
After CP4, the gravel road climbed a little before leveling out to a gentle roll. We folded up our poles and settled into a consistent pace. The terrain was even enough that I could let my gaze wander over the scenery. Sometimes there was a break in the foliage to the left of the road, and we had expansive views out over a sea of rolling green peaks under a cloudy grey sky. Just beautiful! There were also several interesting spots along the road to the right, including a little memorial of a former mine and more large stone cairns.
My mind wandered, too. I thought again about how lucky we were with weather. Kent especially likes this kind of cool, cloudy weather – and was acing his race because of it! I tried to imagine where we were from an aerial perspective, relating our position to other mountains we know. And mostly, I just felt really grateful to be running today!
Although there were 7 kilometers in between the CPs, we reached CP5 before I thought to look for it! More nice volunteers offered us an array of snacks, including some gelato, but we opted for our fave classics. This was possibly our longest CP stop, lasting 3 or 4 minutes, but we took time to put away our poles and drink deeply instead of refilling our hydration packs.
Then it was time to set off down the second out-and-back! The 21k runners turned right and headed down from CP5, so we were suddenly alone again. We were surprised not to see anyone approaching from the front for several minutes. But we enjoyed the peace of the forest, listening to some bird calls and running quickly on an inexplicable stretch of spongy, track-like road.
We spotted the Japanese runner who had been leading the race earlier, and wondered if he was still in the lead, or if our very fast friend had passed him and started his descent already. After, we saw a steady stream of runners, including our other fast friend! This time his encouraging words reassured us that the road would continue to descend in the same manner all the way down to the turnaround at CP6. This descent was not steep enough to give ourselves over to gravity, but we made good time running steadily down. There were plenty of high-fives and lots of familiar faces. I especially liked seeing the leading ladies pushing hard back up the hill, and cheered myself hoarse for them!
At CP6, I made the mistake of drinking both a cup of sports drink and a cup of coke. For some reason, that combo gave me a sloshy stomach for several kilometers. But my legs and lungs felt great, so we quickly turned around and back up the hill we went! That not-so-steep grade that we’d just run down was perfect for running back up, too. In between greeting other runners, Kent and I recalled some of our other favorite uphill dirt roads, like our course 2 or the naughty road up Daeamsan. We refused to slow to a walk and so returned back to CP7 – formerly CP1 and CP5 – rather quickly, I thought!
There, we turned to descend back down the same 3.9 kilometers that we’d climbed up in the beginning. With just a little ways to go, I decided to look for another gear. We’d been going hard but conservatively up until this point, so maybe it was time to give it all we had left! I started to sprint, Kent close on my heels. We saw a few more volunteers and a photographer camped out in the forest, cheering us all on. The stone cairns flew by in a blur as we began to hear the sounds of the finish line below. This added to the surge of adrenaline I was experiencing, and I went faster still. We popped out into the parking lot of the resort, and my heart full to bursting, I paused to join hands with Kent.
We quickly realized that may have been a little premature, as we needed to do a little lap through the grass to arrive at the finish line facing the opposite direction. So we laughed, then sprinted side-by-side until the real final stretch. Several of our friends were there to watch us run in, for the very first time! I was absolutely delighted by our strong finish and by all of the great vibes I was feeling. What an awesome race!
We crossed the finish line of our first sky marathon in 5 hours and 48 minutes – a time that we were very pleased with! Volunteers presented us with big, beautiful medals and draped us in warm blue keepsake towels. I was smiling so hard that my face hurt as we went to find and congratulate and hang out with friends.
As with the 2018 Korea 50k, meeting up with running friends had turned into a huge highlight of this race. And, just like at that race, we spent a couple of hours post-race just standing around and chatting. We only left when one of our friends needed a lift to the bus station. Then we drove from one Baegunsan to another, laughing, chatting and reliving our terrific High1 Sky Marathon experience.
Lessons Learned
This race was a great success for us – and a very welcome one indeed after Geoje and at the end of our spring season! We were able to execute a race plan really well – incorporating different strategies for the different sections of the course and including a strong finish! I was really happy with our performance and delighted by this new experience.
This might well have been the friendliest race I’ve ever experienced! I found the volunteers to be really friendly and helpful, and the design of the course ensured that we would encounter all of our friends on the run. Even the racers we didn’t know were exceptionally friendly. Everybody seemed very alert and present during this race: more than willing to use valuable energy on cheering and good vibes. One runner stopped to pay me a really sweet compliment; another to thank us for our encouragement. Many more were eager for high-fives. As we milled around the finishers area, we shook hands with dozens of people that we recognized from on the course.
We started this sport completely isolated, not knowing a single other trail or ultra runner. Standing in a group of friends chatting about the race, I realized how far we’ve come and how very lucky we are today.
Although fortune smiled on us during the 2018 High1 Sky Marathon, there were several things I learned from it, too.
Lesson 1: Watching some runners zip along the road, I pondered our approach to the running part of running.
For the past year or so, most of our runs have been on pretty challenging terrain. Both our regular weekday runs and our mountain mission adventures on the weekends have significant elevation gain, so we’re hiking as much as running. This actually has really benefited us in many ways. It helps us experience mountain after mountain, week after week. Our hiking prowess definitely was a large part of our success on the rugged tough Korea 50k course in 2017 and 2018. Our comfort with tough terrain has made the races we’ve done with less gain seem speedy and refreshing in comparison!
But it was easy to see who the road runners were once we were running on a road, dirt or not! Trail running is great because it includes so many different types of terrain, which in turn requires runners to have a diverse skill set.
Before all of our spring races, we’d been doing speed work once a week, and it paid off big time. We saw massive gains from week to week during our pre-season, and recognized its effects on other runs and races. Inspired by the pace of the leaders in this race, I felt eager to return to our speed work practice and reap its rewards! I made a mental note to include more flat, fast-paced running to our regular training schedule to develop that skill for ourselves.
Lesson 2: Electrolytes are key! After Kent’s struggles two weeks ago, we were very focused on nutrition during this race. We enjoyed lots of bananas and cucumbers at aid stations, and our own energy chews along the way, but not much in the way of salts. Thanks to the mild weather, this was not much of a problem. But I was nonetheless aware that I was losing salt. Rubbing an itchy spot was rather exfoliating, and when I licked my lips, I tasted salt rather than sunscreen. Late in the race, I also got a mild headache accompanied by some indigestion. I’m no expert, but it seemed like both could be related to my electrolyte balance. We have a couple of supplements on the way already, and my eagerness to practice with them on summer training runs was renewed.
Lesson 3: The downhill can indeed be an incredibly fun part of a race! But mastering it, for a cautious person like me, will take time to master. While I had the confidence and enthusiasm to sprint down familiar terrain towards the finish, I was considerably more tentative on the big downhill to CP3. Kent was outstanding, long legs leaping from rock to rock and speedy feet beating out a quick turnover. I lagged behind, letting gravity pull me down mostly on the smooth sections. Around big rocks, I grew tentative and applied the brakes perhaps more than necessary.
Then again, after seeing several friends get injured from tumbles at this race, maybe a certain amount of caution is healthy! Sprinting down may never be my top skill, but there’s room for improvement. With practice comes both confidence and skill!
Interested in running the High1 Sky Marathon yourself? I’d highly recommend it! Check in with the official website to learn about the next edition!