Kodiak 100K

Race strategy

Run hard on the first mountain, but save energy for the second.

• 854m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• High point at 3029m. Control your HR at altitude.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 38.6km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.6km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.6km–25.2km · Climb of 858m. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Work · 25.2km–56.0km · Descent of 854m averaging 6%, high point 3029m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Fade · 56.0km–58.9km · 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 58.9km–100km · 41.3km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 3535m+ and descends 3535m−. With 35m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 33% of the distance is uphill, 40% downhill and 27% flat. The longest climb runs 8.5km at an average 10.1% grade (858m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.5km at an average 6.3% grade (854m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 20.9% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 22.3% over 0.4km. Surface: 87% trail and 11% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 120.8 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Sugarloaf Mountain (3029m), 25.2km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Snow Summit (2491m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 6.7km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 34 of 100), with 53% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 38.6km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 25.2–38.6 km · 854 m D−, -6.3% · 61.6 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 2°C to 13°C, with around 11°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 7%.

Results

444 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Jose Angel Fernandez Jimenez (Spain) in 8:33:09. Women's winner: Lotti Brinks (United States) in 10:15:44.