Tunnel 100K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 542m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 31% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 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.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 54.8km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.1km–13.5km · 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 · 13.5km–39.6km · Descent of 321m averaging 10%, descent of 542m averaging 17%, climb of 730m. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. 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.
• Fade · 39.6km–54.8km · Climb of 297m, high point 1165m, descent of 964m averaging 11%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 54.8km–83.6km · 28.9km 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.

Course

By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 34% downhill and 26% flat. The longest climb runs 10.5km at an average 6.5% grade (682m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.4km at an average 11.4% grade (964m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 30.9% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 34.0% over 0.2km. Surface: 23% road and 11% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 131.1 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 14.7km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 44 of 100), with 47% of the load in the first half: 3 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 54.8km, then run your race pace.
• #3 · 13.5–16.8 km · 321 m D−, -9.7% · 66.9 km ahead → control
• #1 · 27.3–30.4 km · 542 m D−, -17.1% · 53.2 km ahead → control
• #2 · 46.3–54.8 km · 964 m D−, -11.4% · 28.9 km ahead → control

Results

73 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Riccardo Montani (Italy) in 9:32:31. Women's winner: Jiangrong Yuan (China) in 13:33:16.