UTAMiler

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 408m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 35% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 66.9km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.2km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.2km–20.7km · Descent of 408m averaging 11%. Plus 1 more climb. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 20.7km–94.1km · 42.0km of runnable trail, high point 1076m, descent of 338m averaging 8%. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. 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.
• Fade · 94.1km–146km · Plus 1 more climb and 2 descents. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. 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 · 146km–159km · Climb of 1125m. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 9000m+. With 56m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 36% of the distance is uphill, 36% downhill and 28% flat. The longest climb runs 13.4km at an average 8.4% grade (1125m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.2km at an average 9.7% grade (598m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 47.4% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 58.6% over 0.2km. Surface: 46% smooth, 37% trail, and 14% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 226.1 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 15.1km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage