La Boffi Fifty

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Start easy and control your HR up to Puech Nègre.
• Hold your race pace up to the aid station at 33.8km, but stay in control.
• Steep 50% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 43.7km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.1km–23.4km · Plus 2 more climbs and 1 descent. 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 · 23.4km–33.8km · Plus 2 more climbs and 2 descents. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Fade · 33.8km–43.7km · 6.2km of runnable trail, high point 858m. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. 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 · 43.7km–45.7km · Descent of 444m averaging 22%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 2005m+. With 43m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 32% of the distance is uphill, 26% downhill and 42% flat. The longest climb runs 4.8km at an average 10.1% grade (478m of vertical). The longest descent runs 4.1km at an average 9.5% grade (386m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 49.0% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 50.2% over 0.3km. Surface: 64% trail, 28% smooth, and 8% road.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Pouncho d'Agast (841m), 43.5km from the start. The course also passes close to Puech Nègre (863m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 6.3km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 25 of 100), with 15% of the load in the first half: 0 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 43.7km.
• 26.4–30.4 km · 386 m D−, -9.5% · 15.3 km ahead → your pace
• 33.8–35.6 km · 328 m D−, -18.0% · 10.2 km ahead → your pace
• 43.7–45.7 km · 444 m D−, -21.5% · 0.0 km ahead → free