Mestia 100K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 2050m gain. Control your HR at altitude.
• 2136m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 613m 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 82.3km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 92.7km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.1km–11.5km · Climb of 2051m, high point 3380m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 11.5km–47.6km · Descent of 2136m averaging 17%, climb of 1100m, descent of 379m averaging 14%. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 47.6km–92.7km · Descent of 433m averaging 7%, climb of 775m, descent of 1710m averaging 13%. Plus 3 more climbs 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. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 92.7km–102km · Descent of 613m averaging 7%. 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.

Course

The course climbs 6400m+. With 61m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 16% flat. The longest climb runs 11.5km at an average 17.8% grade (2051m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.2km at an average 12.9% grade (1710m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 45.8% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 38.6% over 0.3km. Surface: 74% trail, 9% smooth, 8% technical, and 5% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 178.1 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Mentashi (2473m), 35.2km from the start. The course also passes close to Sgimizuki (3183m) and Guli (2926m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 14.3km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 62 of 100), with 49% 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 82.3km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 92.7km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 11.5–24.1 km · 2136 m D−, -17.0% · 77.6 km ahead → control
• #3 · 38.4–41.1 km · 379 m D−, -13.9% · 60.5 km ahead → control
• #4 · 47.6–53.6 km · 433 m D−, -7.2% · 48.1 km ahead → control
• #2 · 69.1–82.3 km · 1710 m D−, -12.9% · 19.4 km ahead → control
• 92.7–101.7 km · 613 m D−, -6.9% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 1 more notable descent not listed: your pace.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 17°C to 23°C, with around 10°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 38%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 6% of days around this date.