Zembrocal Trail

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 2260m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1509m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 696m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• 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 117km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 149km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–24.0km · Climb of 2264m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 24.0km–84.3km · Descent of 887m averaging 7%, descent of 1509m averaging 13%, climb of 1207m. 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 · 84.3km–149km · Descent of 1813m averaging 12%, descent of 734m averaging 11%, climb of 821m. Plus 6 more climbs and 5 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. 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 149km–157km · Descent of 696m 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, 40% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 17% flat. The longest climb runs 17.7km at an average 12.8% grade (2264m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.5km at an average 11.7% grade (1813m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 71.2% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 106.1% over 0.2km. Surface: 58% trail, 25% road, 10% technical, and 6% smooth.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 21.1km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 77 of 100), with 35% of the load in the first half: 4 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 117km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 149km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #3 · 30.2–43.7 km · 887 m D−, -6.6% · 113.2 km ahead → control
• #1 · 59.2–70.7 km · 1509 m D−, -13.2% · 86.3 km ahead → control
• #2 · 84.3–99.8 km · 1813 m D−, -11.7% · 57.1 km ahead → control
• #4 · 110.6–117.1 km · 734 m D−, -11.3% · 39.8 km ahead → control
• 149.4–156.9 km · 696 m D−, -9.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 2 more notable descents not listed: your pace.