Red Race

Race strategy

Run easy on the first mountain, then go all out on the second.

• 558m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 39% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 5.7km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–2.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.3km–16.0km · Descent of 558m averaging 10%. 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 · 16.0km–18.9km · Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort.
• Home · 18.9km–26.3km · Climb of 545m, high point 1262m. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

By gradient, 42% of the distance is uphill, 49% downhill and 9% flat. The longest climb runs 7.4km at an average 7.4% grade (545m of vertical). The longest descent runs 5.7km at an average 9.9% grade (558m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 38.9% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 26.9% over 0.3km. Surface: 51% smooth, 38% road, and 7% trail. Flat-equivalent effort: 38.7 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Tornička Bobija (1272m), 23.4km from the start.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 1.9km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 18 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 5.7km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 0.0–5.7 km · 558 m D−, -9.9% · 20.6 km ahead → control
• 16.0–18.9 km · 314 m D−, -10.7% · 7.4 km ahead → your pace

Results