L'Endurance Trail

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 427m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 29% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 514m 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 42.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 91.8km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.9km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.9km–22.5km · 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 22.5km–46.6km · Descent of 427m averaging 7%, descent of 410m averaging 10%, climb of 460m, high point 906m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 46.6km–91.8km · Plus 1 more climb and 3 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. 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 · 91.8km–98.2km · Descent of 514m averaging 8%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 4075m+. With 41m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 29% of the distance is uphill, 41% downhill and 30% flat. The longest climb runs 4.3km at an average 10.6% grade (460m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.4km at an average 8.0% grade (514m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 37.1% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 28.9% over 0.8km. Surface: 56% trail, 27% smooth, and 12% road.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Pouncho d'Agast (841m), 95.6km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Mont Redon (836m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 12.3km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 47 of 100), with 38% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 42.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 91.8km.
• #1 · 22.5–28.4 km · 427 m D−, -7.3% · 69.8 km ahead → control
• #2 · 38.1–42.2 km · 410 m D−, -9.8% · 56.0 km ahead → control
• 63.6–67.8 km · 434 m D−, -10.1% · 30.4 km ahead → your pace
• 73.9–78.7 km · 345 m D−, -7.1% · 19.5 km ahead → your pace
• 91.8–98.2 km · 514 m D−, -8.0% · 0.0 km ahead → free
• Plus 1 more notable descent not listed: your pace.