Plava staza

Race strategy

Short race: go all out.

• Hold your race pace up to 6.3km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and go all out on the final descent from 6.3km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Work · 1.8km–6.3km · Climb of 482m, high point 1246m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 6.3km–10.4km · Descent of 379m averaging 9%. Kick for the line: give it everything you've got. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 230m+ and descends 230m−. With 23m/km of climbing, the course is predominantly runnable. By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 47% downhill and 18% flat. The longest climb runs 6.3km at an average 7.6% grade (482m of vertical). The longest descent runs 4.1km at an average 9.3% grade (379m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 24.2% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 18.9% over 1.1km. Surface: 62% trail, 17% smooth, and 11% road.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Ljuljaš (1268m), 4.5km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Orlic (1230m).

Poles

The course is runnable enough that trekking poles are not needed.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 8 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and go all out on the final descent from 6.3km.
• 6.3–10.4 km · 379 m D−, -9.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end