RED COURSE

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 43% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 902m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• 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 32.7km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 53.2km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.6km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.6km–18.2km · 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 · 18.2km–28.1km · Descent of 405m averaging 15%, climb of 1033m, high point 1912m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 28.1km–53.2km · 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 · 53.2km–57.9km · Descent of 332m averaging 7%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 3700m+. With 62m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 43% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 12% flat. The longest climb runs 7.1km at an average 14.5% grade (1033m of vertical). The longest descent runs 4.7km at an average 7.1% grade (332m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 42.5% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 42.4% over 0.2km. Surface: 77% trail, 15% smooth, and 6% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 96.3 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Vito (1960m), 26.7km 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 7.6km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 39 of 100), with 45% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 32.7km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 53.2km.
• #2 · 18.2–21.0 km · 405 m D−, -14.8% · 37.0 km ahead → control
• #1 · 28.1–32.7 km · 902 m D−, -19.6% · 25.2 km ahead → control
• 53.2–57.9 km · 332 m D−, -7.1% · 0.0 km ahead → free

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 12°C to 22°C, with around 16°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 37%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 7% of days around this date.