Trail Race

Race strategy

Run the climb at race pace, build your speed on the downhill, and go all out at the finish.

• Start easy and control your HR up to 11.6km.
• Final 951m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 11.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.8km–11.6km · Climb of 1094m, high point 2325m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 11.6km–21.2km · Descent of 951m averaging 10%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 1000m+. With 48m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 47% downhill and 13% flat. The longest climb runs 11.6km at an average 9.4% grade (1094m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.6km at an average 9.9% grade (951m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 23.4% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 34.6% over 0.3km. Surface: 40% smooth, 31% trail, 17% road, and 12% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 31.7 FlatKM.

Poles

The course is runnable enough that trekking poles are not needed.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 17 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 11.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 11.6–21.2 km · 951 m D−, -9.9% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 17°C to 23°C, with around 16°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.