Small Eastern Extreme Marathon

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 402m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Start easy and control your HR up to Crni cot.
• Hold your race pace up to 32.9km, but stay in control.
• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 15.7km, 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–18.6km · Descent of 402m averaging 6%, descent of 376m averaging 5%, high point 520m. Plus 2 more climbs. 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.
• Work · 18.6km–32.9km · Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Home · 32.9km–41.5km · Climb of 342m. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.

Course

The course climbs 2100m+ and descends 2100m−. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 44% of the distance is uphill, 41% downhill and 15% flat. The longest climb runs 8.6km at an average 4.0% grade (342m of vertical). The longest descent runs 7.8km at an average 4.8% grade (376m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 33.4% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 27.2% over 0.4km. Surface: 89% trail. Flat-equivalent effort: 57.5 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Ledinačka Kapija (503m), 38.1km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Crni cot (482m). The course also passes close to Astal (485m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 3.3km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 25 of 100), with 61% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 15.7km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 0.0–6.3 km · 402 m D−, -6.4% · 35.2 km ahead → control
• #2 · 7.9–15.7 km · 376 m D−, -4.8% · 25.8 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 10°C to 18°C, with around 16°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.