Z101

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 978m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Big early climb with 1.6km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• Final 1851m 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 70.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 93.3km 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–11.3km · Climb of 1288m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 11.3km–57.7km · Descent of 978m averaging 23%, descent of 465m averaging 8%, descent of 451m averaging 9%. Plus 2 more climbs. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 57.7km–93.3km · Descent of 1125m averaging 24%, climb of 888m, descent of 1044m averaging 32%. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 93.3km–104km · Descent of 1851m averaging 17%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 7600m+ and descends 7600m−. With 75m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 44% of the distance is uphill, 41% downhill and 15% flat. The longest climb runs 11.3km at an average 11.4% grade (1288m of vertical). The longest descent runs 10.6km at an average 17.5% grade (1851m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 60.5% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 56.2% over 0.3km. Surface: 63% trail, 18% technical, and 13% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 174.3 FlatKM.

Summits

The course also passes close to Gamsberg (1800m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 23.1km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 65 of 100), with 33% of the load in the first half: 5 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 70.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 93.3km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 11.3–15.6 km · 978 m D−, -22.9% · 88.3 km ahead → control
• #3 · 31.2–37.2 km · 465 m D−, -7.7% · 66.6 km ahead → control
• #4 · 42.6–47.5 km · 451 m D−, -9.4% · 56.4 km ahead → control
• #2 · 57.7–62.3 km · 1125 m D−, -24.4% · 41.5 km ahead → control
• #5 · 67.6–70.9 km · 1044 m D−, -31.8% · 33.0 km ahead → control
• 93.2–103.8 km · 1851 m D−, -17.5% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 1 more notable descent not listed: your pace.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 16°C to 26°C, with around 0°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 60%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 11% of days around this date.