BLUE COURSE

Race strategy

Run hard on the first mountain, but save energy for the second.

• Start easy and control your HR up to 10.3km.
• Hold your race pace up to 34.8km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first climb, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 34.8km.
• 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–10.3km · 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 10.3km–34.8km · Climb of 308m, high point 1749m. Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Home · 34.8km–39.6km · Descent of 318m averaging 7%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 1800m+. With 45m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 21% flat. The longest climb runs 3.8km at an average 9.9% grade (378m of vertical). The longest descent runs 4.8km at an average 6.6% grade (318m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 22.0% over 0.9km. The steepest descent drops at 27.2% over 0.4km. Surface: 80% trail and 15% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 56.4 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Veliki Hrakač (1619m), 2.5km from the start. The course also passes close to Saruk (1726m) and Siljevača (1662m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 20 of 100), with 52% of the load in the first half: 0 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first climb, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 34.8km.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 12°C to 22°C, with around 17°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 37%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 7% of days around this date.