Frey 80K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 600m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 39% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 655m 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 70.7km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 78.0km 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–11.4km · Climb of 643m, descent of 600m averaging 18%. 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 · 11.4km–46.6km · Climb of 1124m, descent of 1130m averaging 20%. 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 · 46.6km–78.0km · Climb of 979m, high point 1958m, descent of 1229m averaging 11%, climb of 610m. Plus 1 more climb. 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 78.0km–86.3km · Descent of 655m averaging 8%. 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 4760m+. With 54m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 33% of the distance is uphill, 37% downhill and 29% flat. The longest climb runs 8.0km at an average 8.1% grade (643m of vertical). The longest descent runs 10.8km at an average 11.4% grade (1229m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 36.8% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 40.6% over 0.6km. Surface: 75% trail, 15% smooth, and 7% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 123.4 FlatKM.