Mascareignes

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1220m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1910m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 690m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 46.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 65.3km 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–15.1km · Descent of 392m averaging 6%, climb of 1223m, high point 1819m. 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 · 15.1km–36.3km · Descent of 1910m averaging 12%, climb of 678m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 36.3km–65.3km · Descent of 1018m averaging 10%, climb of 815m. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 65.3km–72.7km · Descent of 690m 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.

Course

By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 46% downhill and 19% flat. The longest climb runs 8.7km at an average 14.1% grade (1223m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.7km at an average 12.2% grade (1910m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 49.3% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 45.4% over 0.3km. Surface: 52% trail, 23% road, and 22% technical.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 7.8km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 53 of 100), with 55% of the load in the first half: 3 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 46.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 65.3km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #3 · 0.0–6.5 km · 392 m D−, -6.1% · 66.3 km ahead → control
• #1 · 15.1–30.8 km · 1910 m D−, -12.2% · 41.9 km ahead → control
• #2 · 36.3–46.2 km · 1018 m D−, -10.2% · 26.5 km ahead → control
• 65.3–72.7 km · 690 m D−, -9.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end