Perpetua Coast Half Marathon

Race strategy

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

• 353m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• All downhill to the finish: go all out!
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 8.4km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 14.1km.
• 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–8.4km · Descent of 353m averaging 6%, high point 347m. Plus 1 more climb. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. 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.
• Work · 8.4km–14.1km · Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 14.1km–21.5km · Descent of 303m averaging 4%. 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, 32% of the distance is uphill, 41% downhill and 27% flat. The longest climb runs 5.7km at an average 5.1% grade (291m of vertical). The longest descent runs 7.4km at an average 4.1% grade (303m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 22.0% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 19.1% over 0.4km. Surface: 73% trail, 19% road, and 7% smooth.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.2km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 11 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 8.4km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 14.1km.
• #1 · 2.3–8.4 km · 353 m D−, -5.8% · 13.0 km ahead → control
• 14.1–21.5 km · 303 m D−, -4.1% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end