Tenerife 73K

Race strategy

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

• Big early climb with 1.1km gain. Control your HR at altitude.
• 1954m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1344m 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 climb, save your quads on the descents until 52.4km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 54.4km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–31.8km · Climb of 1073m, 20.5km of runnable trail, high point 2500m. 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.
• Fade · 31.8km–54.4km · Descent of 1954m averaging 10%, climb of 602m. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 54.4km–69.0km · Descent of 1344m averaging 9%. 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 3024m+. With 41m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 26% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 30% flat. The longest climb runs 11.4km at an average 9.4% grade (1073m of vertical). The longest descent runs 20.6km at an average 9.5% grade (1954m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 51.6% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 31.4% over 0.3km. Surface: 78% trail, 12% road, and 7% smooth.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 7.3km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage