SkyUltra

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1.1km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1017m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1157m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 30.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 38.0km 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–19.9km · Climb of 1073m, descent of 1017m averaging 12%. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
• Work · 19.9km–26.6km · Climb of 796m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Fade · 26.6km–38.0km · Descent of 573m averaging 13%, climb of 946m, high point 2005m. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 38.0km–50.6km · Descent of 1157m averaging 9%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 15% flat. The longest climb runs 11.1km at an average 9.6% grade (1073m of vertical). The longest descent runs 12.5km at an average 9.2% grade (1157m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 39.4% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 36.2% over 0.2km. Surface: 51% trail, 26% smooth, 13% road, and 9% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 77.1 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Popadija (2030m), 38.1km from the start. The course also passes close to Bor (1723m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 7.7km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 39 of 100), with 40% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 30.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 38.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 11.1–19.9 km · 1017 m D−, -11.6% · 30.6 km ahead → control
• #2 · 26.6–31.0 km · 573 m D−, -13.2% · 19.6 km ahead → control
• 38.0–50.6 km · 1157 m D−, -9.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Results

28 finishers completed the 2024 edition. Men's winner: Brano Baltić (Montenegro) in 6:25:38. Women's winner: Jelena Pajić (Serbia) in 8:56:37.