Lady's Rocks

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1290m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 815m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 37% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 23.1km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 44.9km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.8km–14.8km · Climb of 1292m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 14.8km–28.1km · Descent of 815m averaging 10%, climb of 1082m, high point 1838m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 28.1km–44.9km · 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 44.9km–47.2km · Descent of 462m averaging 20%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

By gradient, 38% of the distance is uphill, 49% downhill and 13% flat. The longest climb runs 14.8km at an average 8.7% grade (1292m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.7km at an average 9.1% grade (1424m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 50.8% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 56.9% over 0.2km. Surface: 81% trail, 11% smooth, and 7% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 69.7 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 8.7km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 40 of 100), with 38% 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 23.1km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 44.9km.
• #1 · 14.8–23.1 km · 815 m D−, -9.8% · 24.1 km ahead → control
• 28.1–43.7 km · 1424 m D−, -9.1% · 3.5 km ahead → your pace
• 44.9–47.2 km · 462 m D−, -19.8% · 0.0 km ahead → free

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 18°C to 26°C, with around 17°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 52%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 8% of days around this date.

Results

355 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Karol Sioła (Poland) in 4:56:33. Women's winner: Ioana Madalina Amariei (Romania) in 5:49:24.