LETNICA TRAIL

Race strategy

Run hard on the first mountain, but save energy for the second.

• Start easy and control your HR up to 7.0km.
• Hold your race pace up to Visok Vrv, but stay in control.
• Final 951m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 9.5km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–2.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.4km–7.0km · Climb of 675m. Plus 1 more descent. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 7.0km–9.5km · Climb of 317m, high point 1632m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 9.5km–21.0km · Descent of 951m averaging 8%. 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 1100m+. With 52m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 34% of the distance is uphill, 46% downhill and 20% flat. The longest climb runs 5.1km at an average 13.3% grade (675m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.5km at an average 8.3% grade (951m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 36.6% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 31.1% over 0.3km. Surface: 64% trail, 15% road, and 11% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 25.2 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Visok Vrv (1644m), 9.5km from the start.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 3.3km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 16 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 9.5km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 9.5–21.0 km · 951 m D−, -8.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 23°C, with around 14°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 37%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 4% of days around this date.