23K Blue Trail

Race strategy

Run the climb at race pace, build your speed on the downhill, and go all out at the finish.

• Start easy and control your HR up to Velika Miljevača.
• Final 1032m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 8.9km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–2.2km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.2km–8.9km · Climb of 955m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 8.9km–22.5km · Descent of 1032m averaging 8%, high point 1907m. 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.

Course

The course climbs 1089m+. With 47m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 28% of the distance is uphill, 35% downhill and 37% flat. The longest climb runs 8.9km at an average 10.7% grade (955m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.5km at an average 7.6% grade (1032m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 28.0% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 27.4% over 0.2km. Surface: 72% trail, 14% smooth, and 13% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 31.7 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Velika Miljevača (1930m), 9.0km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Kobilja glava (1687m). The course also passes close to Kukunovac (1295m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 3.8km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 15 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 8.9km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 8.9–22.5 km · 1032 m D−, -7.6% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 13°C to 21°C, with around 15°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 34%.