Kosci50

Race strategy

Run the downhill at race pace, but focus on the climb.

• 715m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 562m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 17.6km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 45.2km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.3km–17.6km · Descent of 715m averaging 8%. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. 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.
• Work · 17.6km–40.1km · This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 40.1km–45.2km · Climb of 553m, high point 1904m. 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 · 45.2km–49.8km · Descent of 562m averaging 12%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 1355m+. With 27m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 30% of the distance is uphill, 35% downhill and 35% flat. The longest climb runs 5.0km at an average 11.0% grade (553m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.5km at an average 8.4% grade (715m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 27.8% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 22.5% over 0.5km. Surface: 72% trail, 21% smooth, and 6% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 64.2 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 3.3km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 24 of 100), with 55% 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 17.6km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 45.2km.
• #1 · 9.1–17.6 km · 715 m D−, -8.4% · 32.2 km ahead → control
• 45.2–49.8 km · 562 m D−, -12.1% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 2°C to 11°C, with around 13°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 43%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 9% of days around this date.