Kodiak 100M

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 494m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• High point at 3029m. Control your HR at altitude.
• 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 126km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–32.8km · Descent of 494m averaging 4%, climb of 823m. 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 · 32.8km–80.5km · Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 80.5km–143km · Climb of 840m, descent of 960m averaging 6%, high point 3029m. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 143km–156km · 12.3km 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, 34% downhill and 36% flat. The longest climb runs 20.8km at an average 4.0% grade (823m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.9km at an average 6.0% grade (960m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 29.5% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 24.6% over 0.3km. Surface: 76% trail, 18% smooth, and 6% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 208.9 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Sugarloaf Mountain (3029m), 112km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Snow Summit (2491m) and Deadmans Ridge (2318m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 8.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 48 of 100), with 40% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 126km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 0.0–11.9 km · 494 m D−, -4.1% · 143.8 km ahead → control
• #2 · 109.7–125.6 km · 960 m D−, -6.0% · 30.1 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 7°C to 20°C, with around 2°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 6%.

Results

328 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Hayden Hawks (United States) in 16:40:37. Women's winner: Lin Chen (China) in 19:31:17.