32 km Trail

Race strategy

Run easy on the first mountain, then go all out on the second.

• Steep 25% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 692m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 22.3km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–2.0km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.0km–20.4km · 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 · 20.4km–22.3km · Climb of 334m, high point 796m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 22.3km–32.4km · Descent of 692m averaging 7%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

By gradient, 22% of the distance is uphill, 36% downhill and 42% flat. The longest climb runs 2.4km at an average 14.5% grade (353m of vertical). The longest descent runs 10.1km at an average 6.8% grade (692m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 25.2% over 0.7km. The steepest descent drops at 21.1% over 1.1km. Surface: 80% trail.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Mont Sainte-Anne (808m), 22.4km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Mont Ferréol (770m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.6km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 17 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 22.3km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 22.3–32.4 km · 692 m D−, -6.8% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end