Sky

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 40% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 686m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 786m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 17.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 20.5km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–2.0km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.0km–12.9km · Climb of 504m, climb of 659m, high point 986m, descent of 447m averaging 21%. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. 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 · 12.9km–20.5km · Descent of 686m averaging 14%, climb of 508m. 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.
• Home · 20.5km–29.4km · Descent of 786m averaging 9%. 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.

Course

The course climbs 1900m+. With 66m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 45% of the distance is uphill, 49% downhill and 6% flat. The longest climb runs 4.1km at an average 16.2% grade (659m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.9km at an average 8.8% grade (786m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 58.3% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 47.4% over 0.5km. Surface: 45% trail, 28% road, and 23% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 49.6 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 6.3km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 30 of 100), with 52% 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 mountain, save your quads on the descents until 17.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 20.5km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #2 · 8.4–10.6 km · 447 m D−, -21.2% · 18.9 km ahead → control
• #1 · 12.9–17.8 km · 686 m D−, -13.9% · 11.6 km ahead → control
• 20.5–29.4 km · 786 m D−, -8.8% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 22°C to 24°C, with around 18°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 7%.

Results

115 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: LUCA DEL PERO (Italy) in 2:43:26. Women's winner: PATRYCJA STANEK (Poland) in 3:20:27.