Mont-Blanc 23K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Start easy and control your HR up to Le Béchar.
• Steep 26% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Hold your race pace up to 15.1km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first climb, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.8km–13.9km · Plus 2 more climbs. 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.
• Work · 13.9km–15.1km · Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 15.1km–23.8km · Climb of 773m, high point 2078m. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.

Course

The course climbs 1680m+. With 73m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 54% of the distance is uphill, 27% downhill and 19% flat. The longest climb runs 8.7km at an average 8.9% grade (773m of vertical). The longest descent runs 1.2km at an average 21.7% grade (269m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 24.0% over 0.9km. The steepest descent drops at 25.8% over 1.0km. Surface: 88% trail and 6% road.

Summits

The course also passes close to Le Béchar (1720m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 4.3km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 10 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• 13.9–15.1 km · 269 m D−, -21.7% · 8.7 km ahead → your pace