MIUT Advanced

Race strategy

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

• 1770m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 41% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 45.5km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 56.5km.
• 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–23.8km · Climb of 2113m, high point 1794m. 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.
• Fade · 23.8km–56.5km · Descent of 1770m averaging 8%. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. 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 · 56.5km–58.5km · Descent of 299m averaging 15%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 4760m+ and descends 4760m−. With 60m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 47% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 14% flat. The longest climb runs 23.8km at an average 8.9% grade (2113m of vertical). The longest descent runs 21.7km at an average 8.1% grade (1770m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 28.8% over 0.7km. The steepest descent drops at 40.7% over 0.6km. Surface: 72% trail, 14% road, 6% smooth, and 5% technical.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 5.8km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 37 of 100), with 28% 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 mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 45.5km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 56.5km.
• #1 · 23.8–45.5 km · 1770 m D−, -8.2% · 13.0 km ahead → control
• 56.5–58.5 km · 299 m D−, -14.8% · 0.0 km ahead → free