Srednji istočni maraton

Race strategy

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

• Start easy and control your HR up to Kraljeva stolica.
• Hold your race pace up to 33.3km, but stay in control.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Go easy on the first downhill, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.9km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.9km–29.4km · Climb of 530m. Plus 1 more climb and 2 descents. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 29.4km–33.3km · Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort.
• Home · 33.3km–58.5km · 25.2km of runnable trail, high point 523m. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 2250m+ and descends 2250m−. With 38m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 32% downhill and 32% flat. The longest climb runs 12.5km at an average 4.2% grade (530m of vertical). The longest descent runs 5.0km at an average 3.6% grade (182m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 19.0% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 19.4% over 0.3km. Surface: 77% trail, 14% road, and 9% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 70.1 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Isin Cot (522m), 46.7km from the start. The course also passes close to Crvena Krecana (512m) and Kraljeva stolica (507m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 4.8km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 25 of 100), with 48% of the load in the first half: 0 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• 29.4–33.3 km · 265 m D−, -6.8% · 25.2 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 10°C to 18°C, with around 17°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 36%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 4% of days around this date.