BLACK COURSE

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1241m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 29% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 76.2km, then run your race pace.
• 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–23.3km · 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 23.3km–51.0km · Descent of 1241m averaging 10%, climb of 895m. 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.
• Fade · 51.0km–85.0km · Descent of 599m averaging 7%, climb of 800m, high point 1912m, descent of 902m averaging 20%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 85.0km–102km · 16.5km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 5800m+. With 55m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 43% of the distance is uphill, 42% downhill and 15% flat. The longest climb runs 6.0km at an average 13.2% grade (800m of vertical). The longest descent runs 12.6km at an average 9.9% grade (1241m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 41.1% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 42.3% over 0.2km. Surface: 71% trail and 21% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 171.7 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Vito (1960m), 70.3km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Delelaš (1907m). The course also passes close to Parič (1941m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 16.3km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 56 of 100), with 44% 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 climb, save your quads on the descents until 76.2km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 23.3–35.8 km · 1241 m D−, -9.9% · 65.7 km ahead → control
• #3 · 51.0–59.4 km · 599 m D−, -7.2% · 42.2 km ahead → control
• #2 · 71.6–76.2 km · 902 m D−, -19.6% · 25.3 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 10°C to 19°C, with around 16°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 39%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 6% of days around this date.