Le Marathon des Causses

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 406m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 29% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 12.8km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 30.8km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.2km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.2km–16.0km · Descent of 406m averaging 12%. 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. 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.
• Work · 16.0km–30.8km · 9.5km of runnable trail, high point 860m. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 30.8km–33.0km · Descent of 341m averaging 15%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 1550m+. With 46m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 32% of the distance is uphill, 31% downhill and 38% flat. The longest climb runs 3.7km at an average 11.9% grade (443m of vertical). The longest descent runs 3.5km at an average 11.5% grade (406m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 51.0% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 39.4% over 0.3km. Surface: 57% trail, 30% smooth, and 13% road.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.6km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 20 of 100), with 38% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 12.8km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 30.8km.
• #1 · 9.2–12.8 km · 406 m D−, -11.5% · 20.2 km ahead → control
• 25.5–28.0 km · 443 m D−, -17.5% · 5.0 km ahead → your pace
• 30.8–33.0 km · 341 m D−, -15.4% · 0.0 km ahead → free