Gorge Waterfalls 50K

Race strategy

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

• 436m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 6.8km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–6.8km · Descent of 436m averaging 12%, high point 472m. 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. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
• Home · 6.8km–49.3km · 42.5km 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 3020m+. With 62m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 33% of the distance is uphill, 32% downhill and 36% flat. The longest climb runs 3.0km at an average 14.9% grade (448m of vertical). The longest descent runs 3.8km at an average 11.5% grade (436m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 30.9% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 18.8% over 0.8km. Surface: 76% trail and 22% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 62.5 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 1.8km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 23 of 100), with 63% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 6.8km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 3.0–6.8 km · 436 m D−, -11.5% · 42.5 km ahead → control