Minotaur SkyRace

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 677m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 47% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 1097m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 17.3km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 20.2km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.5km–17.3km · Descent of 677m averaging 18%, climb of 946m, high point 2312m, descent of 668m averaging 24%. 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. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 17.3km–20.2km · Climb of 673m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 20.2km–32.8km · Descent of 1097m averaging 9%. 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 2900m+. With 87m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 43% of the distance is uphill, 46% downhill and 11% flat. The longest climb runs 6.0km at an average 15.7% grade (946m of vertical). The longest descent runs 12.5km at an average 8.7% grade (1097m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 53.8% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 57.4% over 0.6km. Surface: 84% trail and 7% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 56.6 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Livingstone South Peak (2256m), 20.2km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Bluff Mountain (2145m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 5.1km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 31 of 100), with 52% 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 mountain, save your quads on the descents until 17.3km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 20.2km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 4.8–8.5 km · 677 m D−, -18.4% · 24.2 km ahead → control
• #2 · 14.5–17.3 km · 668 m D−, -24.2% · 15.5 km ahead → control
• 20.2–32.7 km · 1097 m D−, -8.7% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 8°C to 16°C, with around 11°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 51%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 5% of days around this date.