Otto 12K

Race strategy

Short race: go all out.

• Hold your race pace up to 7.1km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 7.1km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–2.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Work · 2.4km–7.1km · Climb of 462m, high point 1313m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 7.1km–13.1km · Descent of 553m averaging 9%. Kick for the line: give it everything you've got. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 500m+. With 39m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 46% downhill and 13% flat. The longest climb runs 7.1km at an average 6.5% grade (462m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.0km at an average 9.2% grade (553m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 15.1% over 0.6km. The steepest descent drops at 18.2% over 1.0km. Surface: 48% trail, 16% road, and 12% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 17.3 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.0km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 10 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 7.1km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 7.1–13.1 km · 553 m D−, -9.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 5°C to 13°C, with around 9°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 20%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 2% of days around this date.