TOR450 Tor des Glaciers

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1303m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 51% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 2176m 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 225km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 425km 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–10.4km · Climb of 1242m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 10.4km–225km · Descent of 1580m averaging 17%, descent of 1929m averaging 11%, descent of 1799m averaging 21%. Plus 11 more climbs and 9 descents. 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 · 225km–425km · Climb of 1857m, climb of 1469m, climb of 1327m. Plus 9 more climbs and 11 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. 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 · 425km–440km · Descent of 2176m averaging 14%. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

By gradient, 43% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 13% flat. The longest climb runs 18.6km at an average 8.1% grade (1500m of vertical). The longest descent runs 22.6km at an average 7.3% grade (1651m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 47.1% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 57.8% over 0.3km. Surface: 76% trail, 13% technical, and 6% road.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Tête de la Tronche (2584m), 432km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Arête du Mont Favre (2442m) and Mont de la Saxe (2346m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 82.9km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is extreme (index 99 of 100): more runnable descent than most 100-milers. Without downhill preparation the quads give out long before the finish.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 225km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 425km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 19.2–36.2 km · 1303 m D−, -7.7% · 404.1 km ahead → control
• #4 · 50.1–58.4 km · 1466 m D−, -17.7% · 381.9 km ahead → control
• #5 · 69.3–82.9 km · 1414 m D−, -10.4% · 357.3 km ahead → control
• #7 · 103.8–116.3 km · 1042 m D−, -8.3% · 324.0 km ahead → control
• #8 · 127.4–135.4 km · 1135 m D−, -14.1% · 304.9 km ahead → control
• #3 · 146.4–156.0 km · 1580 m D−, -16.5% · 284.3 km ahead → control
• #2 · 174.5–192.7 km · 1929 m D−, -10.6% · 247.6 km ahead → control
• #6 · 216.7–225.1 km · 1799 m D−, -21.4% · 215.1 km ahead → control
• 424.6–440.3 km · 2176 m D−, -13.9% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 14 more notable descents not listed: your pace.