ZacUp SkyRace del Grignone

Race strategy

Run hard on the first mountain, but save energy for the second.

• Big early climb with 1680m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• Steep 42% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 1819m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 15.1km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–11.7km · Climb of 1677m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 11.7km–15.1km · Climb of 561m, high point 2378m. Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 15.1km–26.5km · Descent of 1819m averaging 16%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 2650m+. With 98m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 45% of the distance is uphill, 50% downhill and 5% flat. The longest climb runs 11.7km at an average 14.4% grade (1677m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.4km at an average 15.9% grade (1819m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 54.3% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 44.5% over 0.2km. Surface: 49% trail, 15% technical, 13% road, 12% smooth, and 11% extreme. Flat-equivalent effort: 49.6 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Grigna Settentrionale (2410m), 15.0km from the start. The course also passes close to Zucco di Meriggio (1206m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 5.6km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 27 of 100), with 25% of the load in the first half: 0 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 15.1km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 15.1–26.5 km · 1819 m D−, -15.9% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 8°C to 17°C, with around 8°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 43%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 13% of days around this date.