Велика стаза

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 433m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Start easy and control your HR up to Crni vrh.
• Hold your race pace up to 26.6km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 10.2km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 26.6km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.0km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.0km–19.9km · Descent of 433m averaging 10%, 5.7km of runnable trail, high point 1083m. Plus 2 more climbs. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 19.9km–26.6km · Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 26.6km–34.9km · Descent of 438m averaging 5%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course.

Course

The course climbs 1746m+. With 49m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 38% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 20% flat. The longest climb runs 5.8km at an average 8.3% grade (480m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.3km at an average 5.3% grade (438m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 27.6% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 26.4% over 0.3km. Surface: 70% trail, 18% smooth, and 7% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 49.7 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Crni vrh (1096m), 19.9km from the start. The course also passes close to Vuciji mramor (947m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 7.1km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 23 of 100), with 41% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 10.2km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 26.6km.
• #1 · 5.8–10.2 km · 433 m D−, -10.0% · 24.8 km ahead → control
• 19.9–24.7 km · 483 m D−, -10.2% · 10.2 km ahead → your pace
• 26.6–34.9 km · 438 m D−, -5.3% · 0.0 km ahead → free

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 11°C to 22°C, with around 15°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 44%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 6% of days around this date.