Marathon

Race strategy

Run the climb at race pace, build your speed on the downhill, and go all out at the finish.

• Start easy and control your HR up to the aid station at 22.1km.
• Hold your race pace up to 37.4km, but stay in control.
• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 37.4km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.8km–22.2km · Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 22.2km–37.4km · Climb of 366m, high point 1619m. Plus 1 more 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 · 37.4km–41.4km · Descent of 208m averaging 5%. 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

By gradient, 21% of the distance is uphill, 30% downhill and 49% flat. The longest climb runs 2.4km at an average 15.2% grade (366m of vertical). The longest descent runs 4.1km at an average 5.1% grade (208m of vertical). The steepest descent drops at 17.3% over 0.3km. Surface: 90% trail and 9% technical.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.4km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 15 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 37.4km.