Tour de Fruška Trail 22km

Race strategy

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

• Start easy and control your HR up to 12.7km.
• Hold your race pace up to Crvena Krecana, but stay in control.
• All downhill to the finish: go all out!
• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 15.2km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.5km–12.7km · Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 12.7km–15.2km · Climb of 282m, high point 498m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 15.2km–20.0km · Descent of 288m averaging 6%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end.

Course

By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 13% flat. The longest climb runs 4.3km at an average 6.3% grade (272m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.4km at an average 5.2% grade (435m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 15.0% over 0.7km. The steepest descent drops at 16.7% over 0.7km. Surface: 76% trail, 11% road, and 11% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 24.3 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Dugi cot (477m), 16.0km from the start. The course also passes close to Crvena Krecana (512m) and Brankovac (490m).

Poles

The course is runnable enough that trekking poles are not needed.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 12 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 15.2km.
• 4.3–12.7 km · 435 m D−, -5.2% · 7.3 km ahead → your pace
• 15.2–20.0 km · 288 m D−, -6.0% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 14°C to 24°C, with around 20°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 46%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 7% of days around this date.