Canyons 100K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 833m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• 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.
• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 63.3km, then run your race pace.
• 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–17.0km · Descent of 833m averaging 6%, high point 1529m, climb of 561m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. 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.
• Work · 17.0km–53.0km · Descent of 501m averaging 13%, descent of 664m averaging 14%, descent of 915m averaging 6%. Plus 2 more climbs. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 53.0km–87.0km · Descent of 420m averaging 8%. Plus 1 more climb and 1 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. 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 87.0km–100km · 13.0km 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, 30% of the distance is uphill, 44% downhill and 26% flat. The longest climb runs 4.0km at an average 13.5% grade (539m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.6km at an average 5.9% grade (915m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 32.0% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 33.0% over 0.4km. Surface: 83% trail, 7% road, and 7% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 121.9 FlatKM.

Summits

The course also passes close to Robie Point (367m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 12.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 54 of 100), with 65% of the load in the first half: 5 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 63.3km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 0.0–13.0 km · 833 m D−, -6.4% · 87.1 km ahead → control
• #4 · 17.0–20.8 km · 501 m D−, -13.0% · 79.3 km ahead → control
• #2 · 28.7–33.5 km · 664 m D−, -14.1% · 66.6 km ahead → control
• #3 · 37.4–53.0 km · 915 m D−, -5.9% · 47.0 km ahead → control
• #5 · 58.2–63.3 km · 420 m D−, -8.4% · 36.8 km ahead → control
• 83.9–87.0 km · 346 m D−, -11.1% · 13.0 km ahead → your pace

Results

526 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Francesco Puppi (Italy) in 8:04:36. Women's winner: Emily Hawgood (Zimbabwe) in 9:46:44.