RED COURSE

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 44% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 902m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 32.8km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 53.4km.
• 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–11.3km · Plus 2 more climbs. 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 · 11.3km–28.2km · Descent of 404m averaging 15%, climb of 1018m, high point 1912m. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 28.2km–53.4km · Descent of 902m averaging 19%, climb of 689m. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 53.4km–58.1km · Descent of 323m averaging 7%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 3700m+. With 62m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 44% of the distance is uphill, 44% downhill and 12% flat. The longest climb runs 8.8km at an average 7.8% grade (689m of vertical). The longest descent runs 4.7km at an average 6.8% grade (323m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 43.6% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 42.2% over 0.2km. Surface: 80% trail, 12% smooth, and 5% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 96.5 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Vito (1960m), 26.8km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Delelaš (1907m). The course also passes close to Parič (1941m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 6.1km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 38 of 100), with 45% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 32.8km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 53.4km.
• #2 · 18.3–21.0 km · 404 m D−, -14.7% · 37.1 km ahead → control
• #1 · 28.2–32.8 km · 902 m D−, -19.4% · 25.3 km ahead → control
• 53.4–58.1 km · 323 m D−, -6.8% · 0.0 km ahead → free

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.