Pacific Trails 25K

Race strategy

Run the climb at race pace, build your speed on the downhill, and go all out at the finish.

• Start easy and control your HR up to 10.4km.
• Hold your race pace up to 15.5km, but stay in control.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–3.0km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 3.0km–10.4km · Climb of 424m, high point 790m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 10.4km–15.5km · Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort.
• Home · 15.5km–24.6km · 9.1km of runnable trail. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

By gradient, 28% of the distance is uphill, 34% downhill and 38% flat. The longest climb runs 4.9km at an average 8.7% grade (424m of vertical). The longest descent runs 5.1km at an average 8.1% grade (413m of vertical). Surface: 100% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 25.0 FlatKM.

Poles

The course is runnable enough that trekking poles are not needed.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 8 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• 10.4–15.5 km · 413 m D−, -8.1% · 9.1 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 12°C to 20°C, with around 14°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 14%.