Gray Course

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1.4km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 578m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1050m 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 46.4km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 72.5km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–13.1km · Climb of 1438m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 13.1km–39.9km · Climb of 597m, high point 1591m, descent of 578m averaging 6%. Plus 1 more descent. 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.
• Fade · 39.9km–72.5km · Descent of 567m averaging 9%, climb of 541m. Plus 1 more 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 72.5km–81.2km · Descent of 1050m averaging 12%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 4100m+ and descends 4100m−. With 49m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 43% of the distance is uphill, 46% downhill and 12% flat. The longest climb runs 13.1km at an average 11.0% grade (1438m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.4km at an average 6.1% grade (578m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 39.7% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 37.4% over 0.2km. Surface: 73% trail, 16% road, and 9% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 118.0 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Kom (1154m), 34.8km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Vranovo Brdo (743m). The course also passes close to Visoka Glava (1129m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 15.4km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 46 of 100), with 33% 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 46.4km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 72.5km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 23.1–32.5 km · 578 m D−, -6.1% · 48.6 km ahead → control
• #2 · 39.9–46.4 km · 567 m D−, -8.6% · 34.7 km ahead → control
• 53.0–55.3 km · 263 m D−, -11.5% · 25.9 km ahead → your pace
• 72.5–81.2 km · 1050 m D−, -12.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end