GREEN COURSE

Race strategy

Short race: go all out.

• Hold your race pace up to Veliki Hrakač, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 2.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.9km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Work · 1.9km–2.0km · Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 2.0km–13.5km · Descent of 606m averaging 5%, high point 1618m. Kick for the line: give it everything you've got. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 650m+. With 46m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 32% of the distance is uphill, 48% downhill and 21% flat. The longest climb runs 2.0km at an average 15.9% grade (320m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.5km at an average 5.3% grade (606m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 41.1% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 26.7% over 0.4km. Surface: 83% trail and 13% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 17.4 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Veliki Hrakač (1619m), 2.2km from the start.

Poles

The course is runnable enough that trekking poles are not needed.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 9 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 2.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 2.0–13.5 km · 606 m D−, -5.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 12°C to 22°C, with around 16°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.