Speedgoat 10K

Race strategy

Short race: go all out.

• High point at 2756m. Control your HR at altitude.
• Hold your race pace up to 5.6km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and go all out on the final descent from 5.6km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.0km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Work · 2.0km–5.6km · Climb of 473m, high point 2756m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Home · 5.6km–9.2km · Descent of 283m averaging 8%. Kick for the line: give it everything you've got. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.

Course

The course climbs 500m+. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 33% of the distance is uphill, 56% downhill and 12% flat. The longest climb runs 5.6km at an average 8.4% grade (473m of vertical). The longest descent runs 3.5km at an average 8.1% grade (283m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 29.8% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 11.6% over 1.6km. Surface: 99% trail. Flat-equivalent effort: 13.1 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 1.5km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 8 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and go all out on the final descent from 5.6km.
• 5.6–9.1 km · 283 m D−, -8.1% · 0.0 km ahead → free

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 19°C to 25°C, with around 22°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 31%.