MIUT Discover

Race strategy

Run the climb at race pace, build your speed on the downhill, and go all out at the finish.

• 1648m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 38% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 44.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 55.4km.
• 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–22.0km · Climb of 2184m, high point 1808m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 22.0km–55.4km · Descent of 1648m averaging 7%. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. 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 · 55.4km–57.3km · Descent of 292m averaging 16%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 2810m+ and descends 3055m−. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 32% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 29% flat. The longest climb runs 22.0km at an average 9.9% grade (2184m of vertical). The longest descent runs 22.3km at an average 7.4% grade (1648m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 26.2% over 0.9km. The steepest descent drops at 38.4% over 0.4km. Surface: 77% trail, 9% road, and 7% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 81.9 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 9.3km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 35 of 100), with 43% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 44.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 55.4km.
• #1 · 22.0–44.3 km · 1648 m D−, -7.4% · 13.0 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 17°C, with around 6°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 10%.

Results

470 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Antoine Charvolin (France) in 5:03:14. Women's winner: Rachel Drake (United States) in 5:54:03.