Kambos Mountain Race 23K

Race strategy

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

• Final 756m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Steep 28% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 14.7km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.6km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.6km–4.8km · 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.
• Work · 4.8km–14.7km · Climb of 616m, high point 1193m. Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 14.7km–22.9km · Descent of 756m averaging 9%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 1530m+. With 67m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 47% of the distance is uphill, 47% downhill and 6% flat. The longest climb runs 8.9km at an average 6.9% grade (616m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.3km at an average 9.1% grade (756m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 22.0% over 0.6km. The steepest descent drops at 27.9% over 1.0km. Surface: 71% trail, 18% smooth, and 10% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 36.3 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 4.0km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 20 of 100), with 38% of the load in the first half: 0 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 14.7km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 14.7–22.9 km · 756 m D−, -9.1% · 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 13°C, with around 8°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 36%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 10% of days around this date.