52km

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 702m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 42% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 23.0km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 46.8km.
• 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–15.1km · Descent of 702m averaging 19%, climb of 686m. Plus 1 more climb. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. 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.
• Work · 15.1km–26.8km · Descent of 632m averaging 8%, climb of 588m. 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 · 26.8km–46.8km · Climb of 312m, high point 1046m. Plus 1 more climb 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 46.8km–50.2km · Descent of 383m averaging 11%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 3014m+. With 58m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 47% of the distance is uphill, 46% downhill and 7% flat. The longest climb runs 6.1km at an average 7.1% grade (432m of vertical). The longest descent runs 7.9km at an average 8.0% grade (632m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 57.2% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 32.6% over 0.4km. Surface: 73% trail and 20% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 76.3 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Orashec (941m), 40.7km from the start. The course also passes close to Krstovar (1066m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 6.3km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 37 of 100), with 51% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 23.0km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 46.8km.
• #1 · 6.1–9.9 km · 702 m D−, -18.6% · 40.3 km ahead → control
• #2 · 15.1–23.0 km · 632 m D−, -8.0% · 27.2 km ahead → control
• 39.0–43.1 km · 497 m D−, -12.0% · 7.1 km ahead → your pace
• 46.8–50.2 km · 383 m D−, -11.2% · 0.0 km ahead → free

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 5°C to 16°C, with around 12°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 38%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 7% of days around this date.