Grindstone 21K

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 9.8km.
• Hold your race pace up to 12.3km, but stay in control.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–2.6km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.6km–9.8km · 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 · 9.8km–12.3km · Descent of 227m averaging 9%, high point 738m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort.
• Home · 12.3km–21.7km · 9.4km of runnable trail. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 518m+. With 25m/km of climbing, the course is predominantly runnable. By gradient, 18% of the distance is uphill, 21% downhill and 61% flat. The longest climb runs 4.6km at an average 7.0% grade (320m of vertical). The longest descent runs 2.5km at an average 9.2% grade (227m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 28.7% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 21.6% over 0.4km. Surface: 35% trail, 31% road, and 22% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 23.8 FlatKM.

Poles

The course is runnable enough that trekking poles are not needed.

Quad damage

There is too little runnable descent to damage the quads: plan the race around climbing and fuelling.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 14°C to 23°C, with around 20°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 33%.