About Red Course
Red Course is the 60.0km trail race at Boka Bay Trail 2027 (Port of Risan, Risan, Montenegro). The race starts on April 25, 2027. It starts in Port of Risan, Risan and finishes in North Gate (Tabačina), Kotor.
Race strategy
Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.
- Big early climb with 1.1km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
- 556m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
- Steep 28% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
- Final 1091m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
- Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 23.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 46.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- Start · 0.0km–1.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
- Settle in · 1.3km–16.9km · Climb of 1102m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
- Work · 16.9km–30.0km · Descent of 556m averaging 8%, high point 1119m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. 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 · 30.0km–46.6km · Climb of 537m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
- Home · 46.6km–57.8km · Descent of 1091m averaging 10%. 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 3000m+ and descends 3000m−. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 43% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 14% flat. The longest climb runs 11.6km at an average 9.5% grade (1102m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.2km at an average 9.8% grade (1091m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 39.4% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 27.7% over 0.6km. Surface: 69% trail, 20% road, and 11% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 84.5 FlatKM.
Summits
The highest summit on the course is Kom (1154m), 11.7km 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 9.6km of pole-friendly terrain.
Quad damage
Quad damage risk is moderate (index 37 of 100), with 30% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.
- Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 23.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 46.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- #1 · 16.9–23.5 km · 556 m D−, -8.4% · 34.3 km ahead → control
- 30.0–32.2 km · 262 m D−, -11.8% · 25.5 km ahead → your pace
- 37.1–45.1 km · 514 m D−, -6.4% · 12.6 km ahead → your pace
- 46.6–57.8 km · 1091 m D−, -9.8% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
This page has a pacing and nutrition planner, a gradient matrix, an interactive elevation profile and historical weather for Red Course.
