X-Traversee

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1023m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 35% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 828m 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 62.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 68.4km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.8km–9.2km · Climb of 1122m, high point 2703m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 9.2km–36.1km · Descent of 1023m averaging 11%, climb of 1055m. Plus 1 more climb and 1 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Fade · 36.1km–68.4km · Descent of 647m averaging 8%, descent of 1554m averaging 14%, climb of 1206m. 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. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 68.4km–74.8km · Descent of 828m averaging 13%. 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 4200m+. With 55m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 46% of the distance is uphill, 44% downhill and 11% flat. The longest climb runs 12.5km at an average 8.5% grade (1055m of vertical). The longest descent runs 10.9km at an average 14.3% grade (1554m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 37.8% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 45.5% over 0.2km. Surface: 73% trail, 12% road, 7% technical, and 7% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 120.6 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 11.5km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 54 of 100), with 37% of the load in the first half: 3 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 62.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 68.4km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 14.5–23.7 km · 1023 m D−, -11.2% · 51.1 km ahead → control
• #2 · 36.1–44.3 km · 647 m D−, -7.9% · 30.5 km ahead → control
• #3 · 52.0–62.8 km · 1554 m D−, -14.3% · 12.0 km ahead → control
• 68.4–74.8 km · 828 m D−, -13.0% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 8°C to 19°C, with around 10°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 46%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 8% of days around this date.

Results

1,111 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Clovis Chaverot (France) in 8:39:17. Women's winner: Anna Carlsson (Sweden) in 10:29:25.