MUT Miler

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1.4km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1294m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 904m 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 mountain, save your quads on the descents until 55.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 149km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.1km–8.7km · Climb of 1376m, high point 1563m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 8.7km–55.5km · Descent of 1294m averaging 17%, climb of 1214m, descent of 814m averaging 8%. Plus 1 more descent. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 55.5km–149km · Plus 3 more climbs and 2 descents. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 149km–165km · Descent of 904m averaging 6%. 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.

Course

The course climbs 8014m+. With 48m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 32% of the distance is uphill, 35% downhill and 33% flat. The longest climb runs 9.5km at an average 12.7% grade (1214m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.5km at an average 5.8% grade (904m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 51.1% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 41.8% over 0.2km. Surface: 53% trail, 24% smooth, and 7% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 252.2 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 13.0km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 64 of 100), with 57% of the load in the first half: 2 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 mountain, save your quads on the descents until 55.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 149km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 8.7–16.1 km · 1294 m D−, -17.4% · 148.4 km ahead → control
• #2 · 45.6–55.5 km · 814 m D−, -8.3% · 109.1 km ahead → control
• 134.1–137.7 km · 390 m D−, -10.8% · 26.8 km ahead → your pace
• 142.3–146.6 km · 496 m D−, -11.6% · 17.9 km ahead → your pace
• 149.0–164.5 km · 904 m D−, -5.8% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 12°C to 17°C, with around 10°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 23%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 3% of days around this date.

Results

54 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Tahirinirina Jeannot Avotraniaina (Individual Neutral Athletes) in 23:53:25. Women's winner: Lodelia Kombrink (South Africa) in 26:07:06.