DC Peaks 100

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 34% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 916m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• High point at 2854m. Control your HR at altitude.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 129km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 157km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–26.8km · Climb of 587m. 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 · 26.8km–83.8km · Descent of 634m averaging 6%, descent of 500m averaging 7%, descent of 916m averaging 8%. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 83.8km–157km · Climb of 1257m, descent of 637m averaging 8%, descent of 1390m averaging 11%. Plus 2 more climbs. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 157km–160km · Descent of 213m averaging 7%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 6361m+. With 40m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 39% of the distance is uphill, 38% downhill and 23% flat. The longest climb runs 11.8km at an average 5.0% grade (587m of vertical). The longest descent runs 12.3km at an average 11.3% grade (1390m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 33.9% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 26.1% over 0.5km. Surface: 77% trail, 12% smooth, and 8% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 212.9 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 15.9km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 61 of 100), with 49% of the load in the first half: 5 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 129km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 157km.
• #2 · 26.8–37.8 km · 634 m D−, -5.7% · 122.3 km ahead → control
• #3 · 45.3–52.9 km · 500 m D−, -6.5% · 107.1 km ahead → control
• #1 · 58.7–69.8 km · 916 m D−, -8.2% · 90.2 km ahead → control
• #5 · 101.6–109.4 km · 637 m D−, -8.1% · 50.6 km ahead → control
• #4 · 116.4–128.7 km · 1390 m D−, -11.3% · 31.3 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 10°C to 25°C, with around 4°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 28%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 5% of days around this date.