DOWNHILL SHEAR9,550 FT OF LOSS
Radda in Chianti, Italy · March · 120 km
Foot care for Chianti Castles
Chianti Castles is hours on feet. Shear adds up.
Threat matrix
What Chianti Castles does to feet.
Every line below is computed from published course data or written by PR Run and labeled as such.
- Hours on feet74.6 miles inside a 28 hour limit. Every hour adds shear, swelling, and sock saturation.Course data
- Downhill shearMile 64.6 to 72.1 drops 1,600 ft at 4 percent average grade. Toes hit the front of the shoe, heels lift.Course data
- Night hoursA 28 hour window means hours of taping in the dark with cold hands. Practice it that way.Course data
Downhill shear
Where gravity works on your toes.
Sustained descents pulled straight from the elevation profile. Pretape before these, not after.
Heat and moisture
When the shoe stops drying out.
Modeled across the cutoff window from 7 years of race-date weather at points along the course.
- HEATSweat outruns the shoe
- HUMIDNothing dries out
- WETPlan on soaked feet
- COLDNumb toes hide damage
The schedule
Where you sit down and take the shoes off.
Set your goal time. The clocks, the stop plan, and the kit all move together.
Chianti Castles publishes no named crew or drop bag station, so work off your own hot sections and the general plan.
Checked on top of the essentials for Chianti Castles.
Vest / pack
Crew bag
Drop bag
Kit deltas
What Chianti Castles adds to the standard kit.
- Pretape for toes and heelsLong descents load the front of the shoe and lift the heel.
- Light you can tape byTaping in the dark with cold hands is a different skill than taping at your kitchen table.
Shoes
What survives this course.
Matched on terrain, technicality, and distance. Fit still beats every spec, so try them on a long run first.
Crew
What your crew needs on paper.
Two plates. On the left, the race-specific notes that never make it into the standard script. On the right, the printable card your crew reads at two in the morning under a headlamp.
Race day notes
- Crux near Monte San Michele climb after mile 75 through Chianti vineyards near mile 48. Plan foot work before the field splits.
- Surfaces: 70% trail / 25% dirt road / 5% paved. Match lugs and tape adhesion to the dominant surface.
- Air band 40°F to 65°F. Crew should carry dry socks and skin lube when heat or rain is in range.
- Cutoff 28 hours. Longer stops only where the schedule has real buffer.
- Educational only. Test every tape, sock, and shoe combination on long runs before race day.
Print card
A single sheet your crew reads at two in the morning: the stop script, the mandatory kit, and the calls that pull the runner. Print it, laminate it, staple it to the drop bag.
Crew foot care card
Station script. Three to eight minutes if organized.
- Runner sits. Shoes and socks off both feet.
- Inspect: hot spots, maceration, nails, blisters.
- Clean with wipe. Pat completely dry. No tape on damp skin.
- Treat hot spots first. Drain blisters only if necessary with clean technique.
- Fresh socks. Relace shoes. Runner stands and tests before leaving.
Mandatory kit
- Leukotape, kinesiology tape, wipes, blister patches, moleskin
- Scissors, nail clippers, lubricant, powder, spare socks (2+)
- Antibiotic ointment, gloves, cohesive wrap, small towel
When to pull runner: spreading redness, loss of feeling, gait collapse, unmanageable pain.
PR Run · pr.run/foot-care
FAQ
Chianti Castles foot questions.
- 01
Which section of Chianti Castles wrecks feet?
Mile 64.6 to 72.1 drops 1,600 ft at 4 percent average grade. That is where toes meet the front of the shoe and heels start to lift. Pretape before it, not after.
- 02
How many sock changes for Chianti Castles?
Plan one at every foot stop you have access to, and carry one spare pair beyond that. 74.6 miles inside 28 hours is long enough that dry socks are faster than the five minutes they cost.
- 03
How do I stop blisters at Chianti Castles?
Start from the biggest threat on this course. 74.6 miles inside a 28 hour limit. Every hour adds shear, swelling, and sock saturation. Fit the shoe with room for swelling, pretape the spots that have blistered on you before, keep grit out, and change socks at every stop you have access to. Blisters come from pressure, friction, and moisture, so remove whichever one this course hands you the most of.
- 04
What foot care kit should I pack for Chianti Castles?
Beyond the standard kit, this course calls for pretape for toes and heels, light you can tape by. Long descents load the front of the shoe and lift the heel.
- 05
What shoes work for Chianti Castles?
70% trail / 25% dirt road / 5% paved at technicality 5/10 points toward Craft Nordlite Ultra Pro, adidas Fluidflow 20, adidas Pureboost 23. Whatever you pick, race it on a long run first and leave room for feet that swell over the back half.
Educational only. Not medical advice. Persistent pain, infection, or numbness: see a podiatrist or sports medicine clinician.
Train for it
Feet get you to the finish. The plan gets you there on the clock.
Foot care is one system on Chianti Castles. Climbs, descents, heat, fueling, and cutoffs are the rest of it.