Bella Vista 55K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1.2km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1128m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 690m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 23.0km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 48.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–10.0km · Climb of 1168m, high point 1940m. 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 · 10.0km–23.0km · Descent of 1128m averaging 20%, descent of 259m averaging 13%. 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.
• Fade · 23.0km–48.0km · Climb of 505m, climb of 600m. Plus 1 more descent. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 48.0km–56.4km · Descent of 690m averaging 8%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

By gradient, 32% of the distance is uphill, 37% downhill and 30% flat. The longest climb runs 10.0km at an average 11.7% grade (1168m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.4km at an average 8.2% grade (690m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 37.5% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 40.1% over 0.7km. Surface: 73% trail, 19% smooth, and 7% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 79.7 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 8.4km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 34 of 100), with 54% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 23.0km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 48.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 10.0–15.6 km · 1128 m D−, -20.1% · 40.8 km ahead → control
• #2 · 21.1–23.0 km · 259 m D−, -13.4% · 33.4 km ahead → control
• 48.0–56.4 km · 690 m D−, -8.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 5°C to 14°C, with around 6°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 22%.

Results

663 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Anders Kjaerevik (Norway) in 5:23:07. Women's winner: Anna Tarasova (Spain) in 6:06:56.