MIUT Discover

Race strategy

Run hard on the first mountain, but save energy for the second.

• Big early climb with 1970m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 2432m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 40% 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 45.8km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 54.9km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–16.7km · Climb of 1973m. 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 · 16.7km–54.9km · Descent of 2432m averaging 8%, high point 1789m. Plus 1 more climb. 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 · 54.9km–56.7km · Descent of 279m averaging 15%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 2800m+ and descends 3060m−. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 39% of the distance is uphill, 49% downhill and 12% flat. The longest climb runs 16.7km at an average 11.8% grade (1973m of vertical). The longest descent runs 29.1km at an average 8.4% grade (2432m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 45.5% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 47.5% over 0.2km. Surface: 79% trail, 7% technical, and 7% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 96.3 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 8.3km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 42 of 100), with 40% 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 45.8km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 54.9km.
• #1 · 16.7–45.8 km · 2432 m D−, -8.4% · 10.9 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 17°C, with around 5°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 13%.