Chianti Marathon Trail

Race strategy

Start easy, build your effort, and go all out at the finish.

• Start easy and control your HR up to 5.5km.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Control your HR on the first climb, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–2.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.1km–5.5km · 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.
• Home · 5.5km–45.6km · 40.1km of runnable trail, high point 583m. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

By gradient, 36% of the distance is uphill, 28% downhill and 36% flat. The longest climb runs 5.5km at an average 2.4% grade (130m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 15.4% over 0.2km. Surface: 39% smooth, 36% trail, 19% technical, and 6% road.

Poles

The course is runnable enough that trekking poles are not needed.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 20 of 100), with 50% of the load in the first half: 0 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.