Tavignanu Trail

Race strategy

Run hard on the first mountain, but save energy for the second.

• Big early climb with 1.4km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• Steep 36% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 409m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1361m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 16.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 19.3km 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–14.1km · Climb of 1403m, descent of 225m averaging 20%, high point 1812m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 14.1km–19.3km · Descent of 409m averaging 15%. Plus 1 more climb. 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.
• Home · 19.3km–32.1km · Descent of 1361m averaging 11%. 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, 33% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 22% flat. The longest climb runs 7.9km at an average 17.7% grade (1403m of vertical). The longest descent runs 12.8km at an average 10.6% grade (1361m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 42.8% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 45.3% over 0.2km. Surface: 55% trail, 38% technical, and 5% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 56.2 FlatKM.

Summits

The course also passes close to Punta Finosa (887m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 7.1km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 28 of 100), with 34% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 16.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 19.3km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 14.1–16.8 km · 409 m D−, -15.1% · 15.3 km ahead → control
• 19.3–32.1 km · 1361 m D−, -10.6% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 22°C to 28°C, with around 18°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 10%.

Results

955 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Ezekiel Rutto (Kenya) in 3:11:42. Women's winner: Caroline Kimutai (Kenya) in 3:41:35.