Elephant 100

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 676m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 28% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 1341m 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 climb, save your quads on the descents until 55.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 75.1km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–12.2km · Plus 1 more climb. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 12.2km–41.6km · Climb of 815m, descent of 676m averaging 13%, descent of 346m averaging 6%. 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.
• Fade · 41.6km–75.1km · Descent of 1151m averaging 8%, climb of 1189m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 75.1km–93.3km · Descent of 1341m averaging 7%, high point 1541m. 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

By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 42% downhill and 18% flat. The longest climb runs 14.4km at an average 8.3% grade (1189m of vertical). The longest descent runs 18.2km at an average 7.4% grade (1341m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 37.2% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 27.7% over 0.7km. Surface: 40% trail, 37% smooth, and 22% road.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 13.6km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 53 of 100), with 42% of the load in the first half: 3 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 climb, save your quads on the descents until 55.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 75.1km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 21.8–27.1 km · 676 m D−, -12.8% · 66.2 km ahead → control
• #3 · 32.5–38.0 km · 346 m D−, -6.3% · 55.3 km ahead → control
• #2 · 41.6–55.2 km · 1151 m D−, -8.5% · 38.1 km ahead → control
• 69.6–72.9 km · 264 m D−, -8.1% · 20.5 km ahead → your pace
• 75.1–93.3 km · 1341 m D−, -7.4% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end