KAT 100 Miles

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1.4km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1334m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1375m 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 140km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 155km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.3km–10.4km · Climb of 1403m. 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 · 10.4km–89.6km · Descent of 1334m averaging 13%, descent of 1121m averaging 10%, descent of 1235m averaging 15%. Plus 4 more climbs and 2 descents. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 89.6km–155km · Descent of 1363m averaging 9%, climb of 1395m, high point 2174m, descent of 1250m averaging 16%. Plus 3 more climbs. 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 · 155km–170km · Descent of 1375m averaging 9%. 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, 41% of the distance is uphill, 42% downhill and 17% flat. The longest climb runs 12.8km at an average 10.9% grade (1395m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.0km at an average 9.2% grade (1375m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 37.4% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 34.9% over 0.5km. Surface: 54% trail, 21% smooth, and 19% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 275.2 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Gamshag (2178m), 133km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Teufelssprung (2174m) and Wildseeloder (2119m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 25.1km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 80 of 100), with 47% of the load in the first half: 7 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 140km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 155km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 10.4–20.7 km · 1334 m D−, -13.0% · 148.9 km ahead → control
• #4 · 29.0–34.5 km · 577 m D−, -10.4% · 135.1 km ahead → control
• #7 · 49.8–51.9 km · 256 m D−, -11.8% · 117.6 km ahead → control
• #2 · 59.3–70.3 km · 1121 m D−, -10.2% · 99.3 km ahead → control
• #3 · 81.3–89.6 km · 1235 m D−, -14.9% · 80.0 km ahead → control
• #5 · 105.1–119.7 km · 1363 m D−, -9.3% · 49.9 km ahead → control
• #6 · 132.5–140.2 km · 1250 m D−, -16.2% · 29.3 km ahead → control
• 154.6–169.6 km · 1375 m D−, -9.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 13°C to 25°C, with around 14°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 68%.

Results

79 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Martin Graf (Italy) in 24:28:09. Women's winner: Leonie Hasenauer (Austria) in 36:12:48.