Half Iron

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 464m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Start easy and control your HR up to 14.6km.
• Hold your race pace up to 31.2km, but stay in control.
• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 31.2km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 50.4km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.1km–14.6km · Descent of 464m averaging 9%, climb of 644m, high point 1260m, descent of 527m averaging 9%. 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 · 14.6km–31.2km · Descent of 410m averaging 10%. Plus 1 more climb. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 31.2km–50.4km · Plus 2 more climbs and 1 descent. 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 · 50.4km–55.0km · Descent of 441m averaging 10%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 1950m+. With 37m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 31% of the distance is uphill, 53% downhill and 16% flat. The longest climb runs 5.5km at an average 7.4% grade (410m of vertical). The longest descent runs 10.8km at an average 6.1% grade (661m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 33.3% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 22.9% over 0.2km. Surface: 72% smooth, 18% trail, and 7% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 73.0 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Jablanik (1274m), 8.8km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Zmajevac (1055m). The course also passes close to Kicer (1109m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 7.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 38 of 100), with 48% of the load in the first half: 3 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 31.2km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 50.4km.
• #1 · 0.0–5.3 km · 464 m D−, -8.7% · 49.7 km ahead → control
• #2 · 8.8–14.6 km · 527 m D−, -9.2% · 40.4 km ahead → control
• #3 · 27.1–31.2 km · 410 m D−, -10.1% · 23.8 km ahead → control
• 36.7–47.5 km · 661 m D−, -6.1% · 7.5 km ahead → your pace
• 50.4–55.0 km · 441 m D−, -9.6% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 8°C to 18°C, with around 13°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 44%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 6% of days around this date.