Advanced

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 39% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 871m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 2115m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 35.6km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 48.1km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–15.1km · Climb of 541m, descent of 283m averaging 13%, climb of 601m. 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.
• Work · 15.1km–42.6km · Climb of 732m, high point 1727m, descent of 871m averaging 11%, climb of 870m. 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 · 42.6km–48.1km · Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 48.1km–80.0km · Descent of 2115m averaging 7%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 4314m+. With 53m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 36% of the distance is uphill, 52% downhill and 12% flat. The longest climb runs 7.1km at an average 12.3% grade (870m of vertical). The longest descent runs 32.0km at an average 6.6% grade (2115m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 43.9% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 49.8% over 0.2km. Flat-equivalent effort: 110.1 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 15.6km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 51 of 100), with 44% of the load in the first half: 2 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 35.6km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 48.1km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #2 · 6.3–8.6 km · 283 m D−, -12.6% · 71.5 km ahead → control
• #1 · 27.4–35.6 km · 871 m D−, -10.7% · 44.5 km ahead → control
• 48.1–80.1 km · 2115 m D−, -6.6% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 14°C to 16°C, with around 8°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 14%.

Results

854 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Julen Calvó Vigara (Spain) in 7:26:02. Women's winner: Tereza Hudcova (Czech Republic) in 9:18:12.