Hvar Marathon

Race strategy

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

• 702m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Steep 27% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 22.9km, 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–5.1km · Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 5.1km–22.9km · Climb of 634m, descent of 702m averaging 8%, high point 613m. 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.
• Home · 22.9km–41.0km · 18.0km 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. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 2100m+. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 17% flat. The longest climb runs 9.5km at an average 6.7% grade (634m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.3km at an average 8.4% grade (702m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 27.5% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 32.9% over 0.2km. Surface: 53% trail, 21% road, 19% smooth, and 6% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 62.2 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Sveti Nikola (628m), 17.3km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Purkin kuk (276m). The course also passes close to Napoleon (237m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 5.9km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 25 of 100), with 57% 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 descents until 22.9km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 14.6–22.9 km · 702 m D−, -8.4% · 18.0 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 21°C, with around 16°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 29%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 7% of days around this date.