Sinjavina Skyrace

Race strategy

Run the climb at race pace, build your speed on the downhill, and go all out at the finish.

• Steep 35% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 1085m 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 27.9km 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–14.8km · Climb of 1160m, descent of 127m averaging 4%, high point 1841m. 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 · 14.8km–27.9km · This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Home · 27.9km–39.3km · Descent of 1085m 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.

Course

The course climbs 2000m+. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 31% of the distance is uphill, 34% downhill and 35% flat. The longest climb runs 11.7km at an average 9.9% grade (1160m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.4km at an average 9.5% grade (1085m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 48.4% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 29.3% over 0.3km. Surface: 63% trail and 33% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 66.6 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Katuničko brdo (1311m), 33.7km from the start. The course also passes close to Šanac (1863m) and Ružica (1721m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 4.1km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 25 of 100), with 27% of the load in the first half: 0 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 27.9km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 27.9–39.3 km · 1085 m D−, -9.5% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 13°C to 23°C, with around 14°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 48%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 7% of days around this date.