Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1030m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 876m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1042m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• 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 79.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 152km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.1km–14.9km · Climb of 1027m. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 14.9km–79.8km · Descent of 876m averaging 8%, climb of 835m, descent of 1101m averaging 4%. 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.
• Fade · 79.8km–152km · Climb of 1019m, 32.4km of runnable trail, high point 3227m. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 152km–162km · Descent of 1042m averaging 10%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.

Course

By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 41% downhill and 24% flat. The longest climb runs 19.4km at an average 5.2% grade (1019m of vertical). The longest descent runs 27.0km at an average 4.1% grade (1101m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 35.4% over 0.9km. The steepest descent drops at 16.4% over 0.9km. Surface: 72% trail, 13% smooth, and 10% technical.

Summits

The course also passes close to Emerald Mountain (2515m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 13.1km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 49 of 100), with 52% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 79.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 152km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 14.9–26.3 km · 876 m D−, -7.7% · 135.9 km ahead → control
• #2 · 52.7–79.7 km · 1101 m D−, -4.1% · 82.5 km ahead → control
• 91.5–100.4 km · 447 m D−, -5.0% · 61.8 km ahead → your pace
• 152.2–162.2 km · 1042 m D−, -10.4% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end