Camins d'Her V2

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 2.2km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1121m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 838m 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 mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 37.6km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 71.7km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.3km–24.5km · Climb of 2167m, high point 2374m. 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 · 24.5km–37.6km · Descent of 1121m averaging 9%. 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.
• Fade · 37.6km–71.7km · Climb of 1011m, climb of 568m. 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. 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 · 71.7km–78.5km · Descent of 838m 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. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 4100m+. With 51m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 37% of the distance is uphill, 38% downhill and 25% flat. The longest climb runs 24.5km at an average 8.8% grade (2167m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.1km at an average 8.6% grade (1121m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 42.4% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 33.3% over 0.7km. Surface: 78% trail, 11% road, and 10% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 116.6 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 9.4km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 46 of 100), with 42% 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 way down from it until 37.6km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 71.7km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 24.5–37.6 km · 1121 m D−, -8.6% · 40.9 km ahead → control
• 61.3–67.9 km · 873 m D−, -13.3% · 10.6 km ahead → your pace
• 71.7–78.5 km · 838 m D−, -12.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 26°C, with around 14°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 38%.

Results

339 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Benjamin Vignon Potier (France) in 14:27:40. Women's winner: Cheryll Januszewski (Great Britain) in 15:17:17.