Moab's Red Hot Ultra 50 Mile

Race strategy

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

• 306m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 39.7km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.9km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.9km–18.2km · Climb of 261m, high point 1748m. 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 · 18.2km–39.7km · Descent of 306m averaging 8%. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. 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 · 39.7km–74.8km · 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 · 74.8km–85.6km · 10.7km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 2142m+. With 27m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 30% of the distance is uphill, 31% downhill and 39% flat. The longest climb runs 4.8km at an average 5.6% grade (268m of vertical). The longest descent runs 3.9km at an average 7.8% grade (306m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 14.8% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 14.8% over 0.4km. Surface: 100% trail. Flat-equivalent effort: 96.4 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 3.1km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 24 of 100), with 50% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 39.7km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 35.8–39.7 km · 306 m D−, -7.8% · 45.9 km ahead → control
• 71.1–74.8 km · 295 m D−, -7.8% · 10.7 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from -5°C to 4°C, with around 3°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 22%.