Tenerife 47K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1227m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 52% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 1342m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 27.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 29.2km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–27.2km · Climb of 674m, descent of 1227m averaging 12%, high point 1693m. Plus 1 more climb. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. 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.
• Work · 27.2km–29.2km · Climb of 602m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 29.2km–43.7km · Descent of 1342m 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 2600m+. With 55m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 44% downhill and 14% flat. The longest climb runs 6.9km at an average 9.8% grade (674m of vertical). The longest descent runs 14.6km at an average 9.2% grade (1342m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 51.6% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 31.4% over 0.3km. Surface: 66% trail, 21% road, and 12% smooth.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 4.4km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 40 of 100), with 33% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 27.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 29.2km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 17.0–27.2 km · 1227 m D−, -12.1% · 16.6 km ahead → control
• 29.2–43.7 km · 1342 m D−, -9.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end