UTFS 90K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 35% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 454m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• 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.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 49.2km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.9km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.9km–18.2km · Descent of 454m averaging 12%. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 18.2km–49.2km · Climb of 285m, high point 567m, descent of 545m averaging 9%. 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 · 49.2km–80.9km · Plus 4 more climbs and 2 descents. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. 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 · 80.9km–90.2km · 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 3759m+. With 41m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 31% of the distance is uphill, 34% downhill and 35% flat. The longest climb runs 8.6km at an average 3.4% grade (294m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.2km at an average 8.8% grade (545m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 35.2% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 34.5% over 0.5km. Surface: 43% smooth, 42% trail, and 14% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 122.8 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 9.2km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 42 of 100), with 46% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 49.2km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 14.5–18.2 km · 454 m D−, -12.1% · 72.0 km ahead → control
• #2 · 43.0–49.2 km · 545 m D−, -8.8% · 41.0 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 11°C to 19°C, with around 19°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 57%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 11% of days around this date.