Whistler 100K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1500m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1140m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 28% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 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 47.0km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 92.7km.
• 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–11.3km · Climb of 1498m, high point 2159m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 11.3km–47.0km · Descent of 283m averaging 10%, descent of 1140m averaging 17%, descent of 1252m averaging 10%. Plus 1 more climb. 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 · 47.0km–92.7km · Climb of 507m. Plus 2 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 92.7km–99.5km · Descent of 433m averaging 6%. 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 5100m+. With 51m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 21% flat. The longest climb runs 11.3km at an average 13.3% grade (1498m of vertical). The longest descent runs 12.2km at an average 10.2% grade (1252m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 32.7% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 27.8% over 1.1km. Surface: 65% trail, 16% smooth, and 15% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 147.0 FlatKM.

Summits

The course also passes close to Whistler Mountain (2181m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 12.7km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 55 of 100), with 65% 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 47.0km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 92.7km.
• #3 · 11.3–14.0 km · 283 m D−, -10.5% · 85.5 km ahead → control
• #1 · 20.8–27.6 km · 1140 m D−, -16.6% · 71.9 km ahead → control
• #2 · 34.8–47.0 km · 1252 m D−, -10.2% · 52.5 km ahead → control
• 56.4–59.3 km · 364 m D−, -12.7% · 40.2 km ahead → your pace
• 92.7–99.5 km · 433 m D−, -6.4% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end
• Plus 1 more notable descent not listed: your pace.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 8°C to 15°C, with around 5°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 34%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 7% of days around this date.

Results

228 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Dylan Flewelling (United States) in 11:34:05. Women's winner: Tina Muir (Great Britain) in 12:18:40.