Vrata Valley Race

Race strategy

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

• Steep 34% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 859m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 13.2km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–2.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.1km–13.2km · Climb of 852m. 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.
• Home · 13.2km–26.1km · Descent of 859m averaging 7%, high point 1478m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 1100m+. With 42m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 30% of the distance is uphill, 36% downhill and 34% flat. The longest climb runs 13.2km at an average 6.5% grade (852m of vertical). The longest descent runs 12.9km at an average 6.7% grade (859m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 33.6% over 0.6km. The steepest descent drops at 34.8% over 0.9km. Surface: 74% trail and 9% road.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Kreda (857m), 5.0km from the start.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 1.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 11 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 13.2km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 13.2–26.1 km · 859 m D−, -6.7% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Results

162 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Luka Kovačič (Slovenia) in 2:04:51. Women's winner: Lisa Schäller (Germany) in 2:30:15.