UTFS 55K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 548m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 25% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 18.8km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–2.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.3km–18.8km · Climb of 684m, high point 569m, descent of 548m averaging 9%. 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.
• Work · 18.8km–37.5km · Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 37.5km–45.4km · Plus 2 more climbs and 1 descent. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 45.4km–54.7km · 9.3km 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 2189m+. With 40m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 32% downhill and 33% flat. The longest climb runs 12.6km at an average 5.4% grade (684m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.2km at an average 8.8% grade (548m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 26.6% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 34.0% over 0.2km. Surface: 48% trail, 32% smooth, and 20% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 72.9 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 8.9km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 27 of 100), with 33% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 18.8km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 12.6–18.8 km · 548 m D−, -8.8% · 35.9 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 13°C to 19°C, with around 15°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 49%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 9% of days around this date.