Marató dels Dements (SkyMasters)

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 33% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 649m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 770m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 28.1km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 34.4km.
• 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–15.2km · Climb of 601m, descent of 649m averaging 14%, climb of 749m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 15.2km–22.7km · Descent of 516m averaging 17%, climb of 637m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 22.7km–34.4km · Descent of 623m averaging 11%, high point 1067m. Plus 2 more climbs and 1 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. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 34.4km–40.4km · Descent of 770m averaging 13%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 3903m+. With 93m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 47% of the distance is uphill, 49% downhill and 4% flat. The longest climb runs 5.9km at an average 12.6% grade (749m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.1km at an average 12.6% grade (770m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 40.9% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 38.8% over 0.4km. Surface: 91% trail and 6% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 72.5 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Picaio (1016m), 21.4km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Penya del Pastor (991m). The course also passes close to Pic d'Espadà (1103m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 8.5km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 39 of 100), with 44% of the load in the first half: 3 descents deserve 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 28.1km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 34.4km.
• #1 · 4.5–9.2 km · 649 m D−, -13.6% · 31.2 km ahead → control
• #2 · 15.2–18.2 km · 516 m D−, -16.9% · 22.2 km ahead → control
• #3 · 22.7–28.1 km · 623 m D−, -11.4% · 12.3 km ahead → control
• 30.3–31.8 km · 292 m D−, -19.1% · 8.7 km ahead → your pace
• 34.3–40.4 km · 770 m D−, -12.6% · 0.0 km ahead → free

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 10°C to 16°C, with around 13°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 26%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 7% of days around this date.