ITRA National League European Final

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 45% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 712m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 24.0km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.6km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.6km–17.3km · Climb of 531m, descent of 649m averaging 10%, climb of 789m, high point 1200m. 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 · 17.3km–30.8km · Descent of 712m averaging 11%, climb of 622m. 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 · 30.8km–42.4km · Plus 1 more climb and 2 descents. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 42.4km–52.9km · 10.4km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

By gradient, 34% of the distance is uphill, 44% downhill and 22% flat. The longest climb runs 6.8km at an average 9.1% grade (622m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.7km at an average 10.6% grade (712m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 38.6% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 44.6% over 0.4km. Surface: 47% smooth, 35% trail, and 16% road.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Trevim (1205m), 17.3km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Penedos de Góis (1048m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 12.3km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 34 of 100), with 59% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 24.0km, then run your race pace.
• #2 · 5.3–11.7 km · 649 m D−, -10.1% · 41.1 km ahead → control
• #1 · 17.3–24.0 km · 712 m D−, -10.6% · 28.9 km ahead → control
• 36.0–42.4 km · 512 m D−, -8.0% · 10.4 km ahead → your pace