Trail Surprise

Race strategy

Short race: go all out.

• Steep 35% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Hold your race pace up to 6.6km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 6.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–2.2km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Work · 2.2km–6.6km · Climb of 636m, high point 1604m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 6.6km–12.1km · Descent of 666m averaging 12%. 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 794m+. With 64m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 39% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 22% flat. The longest climb runs 6.6km at an average 9.7% grade (636m of vertical). The longest descent runs 5.5km at an average 12.1% grade (666m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 34.9% over 0.9km. The steepest descent drops at 26.8% over 0.3km. Surface: 52% road, 40% trail, and 6% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 17.1 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 1.7km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 12 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 6.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 6.6–12.1 km · 666 m D−, -12.1% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 17°C to 26°C, with around 20°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 56%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 10% of days around this date.