Osttirol Trail

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1090m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 550m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 847m 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 58.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 76.4km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–0.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 0.8km–10.8km · Climb of 1093m, descent of 550m averaging 20%. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 10.8km–44.0km · Climb of 776m, descent of 322m averaging 21%, climb of 732m. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 44.0km–76.4km · Descent of 509m averaging 25%, climb of 792m, high point 2664m, descent of 1389m averaging 19%. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. 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 · 76.4km–84.5km · Descent of 847m averaging 10%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 5000m+. With 60m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 20% flat. The longest climb runs 8.1km at an average 13.5% grade (1093m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.1km at an average 10.4% grade (847m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 42.0% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 41.8% over 0.2km. Surface: 75% trail, 9% technical, 8% road, and 6% smooth.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Glatzberg (2627m), 38.5km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Greibühel (2247m). The course also passes close to Greischneid (2176m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 14.1km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 56 of 100), with 36% of the load in the first half: 4 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 58.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 76.4km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 8.1–10.8 km · 550 m D−, -20.0% · 73.7 km ahead → control
• #4 · 30.9–32.4 km · 322 m D−, -21.1% · 52.1 km ahead → control
• #3 · 44.0–46.0 km · 509 m D−, -25.1% · 38.5 km ahead → control
• #2 · 51.0–58.2 km · 1389 m D−, -19.3% · 26.3 km ahead → control
• 76.4–84.5 km · 847 m D−, -10.4% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end