TUT62

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 29% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Start easy and control your HR up to 18.3km.
• Hold your race pace up to Gavran, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first climb, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 54.4km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.5km–18.3km · Climb of 666m, climb of 455m, high point 1530m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 18.3km–29.3km · Plus 1 more climb. 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.
• Fade · 29.3km–54.4km · Plus 1 more climb 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 54.4km–60.7km · Descent of 351m averaging 6%. 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 2600m+. With 42m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 38% of the distance is uphill, 40% downhill and 22% flat. The longest climb runs 6.7km at an average 6.8% grade (455m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.3km at an average 5.5% grade (351m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 30.7% over 0.6km. The steepest descent drops at 31.4% over 0.2km. Surface: 47% trail, 42% smooth, and 11% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 80.9 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Zborište (1546m), 17.7km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Iver (1478m). The course also passes close to Veliko brdo (1535m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 8.7km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 35 of 100), with 41% of the load in the first half: 0 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first climb, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 54.4km.
• 46.7–52.3 km · 633 m D−, -11.4% · 8.4 km ahead → your pace
• 54.4–60.7 km · 351 m D−, -5.5% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 25°C, with around 15°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 53%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 7% of days around this date.