Dragon's Fire

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1530m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 898m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 943m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 69.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 94.1km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.6km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.6km–21.2km · Climb of 1528m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 21.2km–52.3km · Descent of 898m averaging 12%, high point 1050m, descent of 677m averaging 15%, descent of 1184m averaging 12%. Plus 2 more climbs. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 52.3km–94.1km · Climb of 613m, descent of 995m averaging 10%, climb of 556m. Plus 2 more climbs and 2 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 · 94.1km–110km · Descent of 943m averaging 6%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 7300m+. With 66m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 21% flat. The longest climb runs 21.2km at an average 7.2% grade (1528m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.7km at an average 6.0% grade (943m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 49.4% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 49.9% over 0.2km. Surface: 50% trail, 16% road, 15% smooth, and 14% technical.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Snowdon (1085m), 42.4km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Garnedd Ugain (1065m) and Carnedd Llewelyn (1064m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 13.4km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 63 of 100), with 54% 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.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 69.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 94.1km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 21.2–28.5 km · 898 m D−, -12.3% · 81.2 km ahead → control
• #3 · 32.6–37.2 km · 677 m D−, -14.7% · 72.6 km ahead → control
• #2 · 42.4–52.3 km · 1184 m D−, -11.9% · 57.5 km ahead → control
• #4 · 59.3–69.2 km · 995 m D−, -10.0% · 40.5 km ahead → control
• 94.1–109.8 km · 943 m D−, -6.0% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 2 more notable descents not listed: your pace.