Half Marathon 21K

Race strategy

Run easy on the first mountain, then go all out on the second.

• 718m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• High point at 4334m. Control your HR at altitude.
• Steep 34% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 9.5km, then run your race pace.
• 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–10.7km · Descent of 718m averaging 8%, high point 4334m. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Work · 10.7km–13.1km · Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 13.1km–19.5km · Climb of 372m. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.

Course

By gradient, 25% of the distance is uphill, 65% downhill and 10% flat. The longest climb runs 6.4km at an average 5.8% grade (372m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.5km at an average 7.5% grade (718m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 37.8% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 34.0% over 0.8km.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 1.4km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 20 of 100), with 56% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 9.5km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 0.0–9.5 km · 718 m D−, -7.5% · 10.0 km ahead → control
• 10.7–13.1 km · 565 m D−, -24.0% · 6.4 km ahead → your pace