Staunton Rocks! Marathon

Race strategy

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

• High point at 2899m. Control your HR at altitude.
• Start easy and control your HR up to 11.3km.
• Hold your race pace up to 36.9km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first climb, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 36.9km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.0km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.0km–11.3km · Climb of 505m, high point 2899m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Work · 11.3km–36.9km · Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. 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.
• Home · 36.9km–42.5km · Descent of 364m averaging 7%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.

Course

The course climbs 1372m+. With 33m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 42% of the distance is uphill, 38% downhill and 20% flat. The longest climb runs 11.3km at an average 4.5% grade (505m of vertical). The longest descent runs 5.6km at an average 6.5% grade (364m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 14.5% over 0.9km. The steepest descent drops at 24.5% over 0.3km. Surface: 89% trail and 8% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 54.5 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Lions Head (2795m), 23.4km from the start.

Poles

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

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 18 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first climb, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 36.9km.
• 36.9–42.5 km · 364 m D−, -6.5% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 23°C, with around 20°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 50%.