MIUT Legend

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1410m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1377m 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 descents until 75.5km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 86.5km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.2km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.2km–15.9km · Descent of 381m averaging 23%, climb of 1411m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 15.9km–40.1km · Descent of 923m averaging 17%, climb of 1315m, descent of 1377m averaging 13%. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 40.1km–86.5km · Climb of 1368m, high point 1790m, descent of 1766m averaging 8%. 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 · 86.5km–88.5km · Descent of 299m averaging 15%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 7200m+ and descends 7200m−. With 65m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 47% of the distance is uphill, 41% downhill and 12% flat. The longest climb runs 13.8km at an average 9.9% grade (1368m of vertical). The longest descent runs 21.6km at an average 8.2% grade (1766m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 43.3% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 44.0% over 0.2km. Surface: 63% trail, 13% technical, 11% road, and 8% smooth.