Hochkönig Skyrace

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1.7km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• Steep 39% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 700m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 22.5km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–2.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.1km–14.1km · Climb of 1655m, high point 2411m. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 14.1km–22.5km · Descent of 1394m averaging 24%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 22.5km–30.2km · Descent of 700m averaging 9%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 2920m+. With 84m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 47% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 8% flat. The longest climb runs 10.2km at an average 16.3% grade (1655m of vertical). The longest descent runs 7.7km at an average 9.1% grade (700m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 49.2% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 50.9% over 0.3km. Surface: 44% trail, 20% technical, 17% smooth, and 14% extreme. Flat-equivalent effort: 58.8 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Streichenbeil (2410m), 9.6km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Schönegg (2389m) and Natrun (1253m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 4.3km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 30 of 100), with 29% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.