Never Summer 100k Never Summer 100k

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 36% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 852m 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.
• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 75.8km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.5km–18.3km · Climb of 737m. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Work · 18.3km–46.0km · Descent of 257m averaging 5%, climb of 713m, descent of 852m averaging 9%, high point 3612m. Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 46.0km–98.5km · Climb of 731m, descent of 596m averaging 9%, descent of 660m averaging 10%. Plus 2 more climbs. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 98.5km–105km · 7.0km 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.

Course

The course climbs 3963m+. With 38m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 34% of the distance is uphill, 34% downhill and 32% flat. The longest climb runs 11.4km at an average 6.4% grade (731m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.2km at an average 9.2% grade (852m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 42.3% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 33.1% over 0.3km. Surface: 79% trail and 15% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 145.9 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is North Diamond Peak (3613m), 36.8km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Mr. Big (3477m). The course also passes close to Seven Utes Mountain (3477m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 12.9km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 48 of 100), with 50% of the load in the first half: 4 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 75.8km, then run your race pace.
• #3 · 20.6–25.9 km · 257 m D−, -4.9% · 79.6 km ahead → control
• #1 · 36.7–46.0 km · 852 m D−, -9.2% · 59.5 km ahead → control
• #2 · 57.3–64.0 km · 596 m D−, -9.0% · 41.5 km ahead → control
• #4 · 69.0–75.8 km · 660 m D−, -9.7% · 29.6 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 23°C, with around 18°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 52%.