Gorge Waterfalls 100K

Race strategy

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

• 473m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 36.7km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.9km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.9km–31.3km · Plus 1 more climb. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 31.3km–36.7km · Descent of 473m averaging 9%, high point 465m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
• Fade · 36.7km–83.1km · Plus 1 more climb. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 83.1km–98.1km · 15.0km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 3230m+. With 32m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 36% of the distance is uphill, 36% downhill and 28% flat. The longest climb runs 5.8km at an average 4.4% grade (255m of vertical). The longest descent runs 5.4km at an average 8.7% grade (473m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 24.2% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 19.8% over 0.3km. Surface: 64% trail, 15% road, and 12% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 115.0 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 6.2km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 37 of 100), with 55% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 36.7km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 31.3–36.7 km · 473 m D−, -8.7% · 61.4 km ahead → control