Les Sentiers des Valdotains

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1.8km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 935m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1703m 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 climb, save your quads on the descents until 96.7km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 103km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.5km–15.0km · Climb of 1790m. 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 · 15.0km–64.3km · Descent of 935m averaging 14%, descent of 276m averaging 9%, descent of 1163m averaging 16%. Plus 4 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 64.3km–103km · Climb of 1066m, high point 2979m, descent of 1500m averaging 12%, climb of 1103m. 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. 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 103km–118km · Descent of 1703m averaging 12%. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 8200m+. With 67m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 44% of the distance is uphill, 42% downhill and 14% flat. The longest climb runs 19.0km at an average 8.8% grade (1680m of vertical). The longest descent runs 14.6km at an average 11.7% grade (1703m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 58.0% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 46.1% over 0.7km. Surface: 71% trail, 13% technical, 10% road, and 5% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 198.8 FlatKM.

Summits

The course also passes close to Monte Chatelard (1844m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 22.4km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 66 of 100), with 42% of the load in the first half: 4 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 climb, save your quads on the descents until 96.7km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 103km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 24.1–30.5 km · 935 m D−, -14.5% · 87.4 km ahead → control
• #4 · 33.4–36.5 km · 276 m D−, -9.1% · 81.4 km ahead → control
• #2 · 38.1–45.3 km · 1163 m D−, -16.0% · 72.6 km ahead → control
• #3 · 84.6–96.7 km · 1500 m D−, -12.4% · 21.2 km ahead → control
• 103.3–117.9 km · 1703 m D−, -11.7% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 1 more notable descent not listed: your pace.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 19°C to 26°C, with around 5°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 34%.

Results

285 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Simone Corsini (Italy) in 16:41:13. Women's winner: Fabiola Conti (Italy) in 18:02:01.