About SkyRun 20K
SkyRun 20K is the 20.0km skyrace at Buffalo Stampede 2026 (Bright, Australia). The race starts on March 28, 2026 at 07:30 AM. It starts and finishes in Bright.
Race strategy
Run easy on the first mountain, then go all out on the second.
- 549m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
- Steep 34% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
- Final 765m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 9.3km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 12.8km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- Start · 0.0km–1.6km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
- Settle in · 1.6km–9.3km · Climb of 685m, descent of 549m averaging 17%. 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 · 9.3km–12.8km · Climb of 601m, high point 999m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
- Home · 12.8km–20.2km · Descent of 765m averaging 10%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.
Course
By gradient, 39% of the distance is uphill, 44% downhill and 17% flat. The longest climb runs 6.2km at an average 11.0% grade (685m of vertical). The longest descent runs 7.4km at an average 10.3% grade (765m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 34.2% over 0.6km. The steepest descent drops at 33.6% over 0.3km. Surface: 54% smooth, 28% trail, and 16% road.
Poles
Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 3.5km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.
Quad damage
Quad damage risk is low (index 19 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 9.3km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 12.8km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- #1 · 6.2–9.3 km · 549 m D−, -17.5% · 10.9 km ahead → control
- 12.8–20.2 km · 765 m D−, -10.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
This page has a pacing and nutrition planner, a gradient matrix, an interactive elevation profile and historical weather for SkyRun 20K.
