HK20

Race strategy

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

• 353m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 528m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 7.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 14.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–7.2km · Descent of 353m averaging 9%. 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 · 7.2km–14.6km · Climb of 491m, high point 1283m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 14.6km–20.4km · Descent of 528m averaging 9%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 1020m+. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 44% downhill and 16% flat. The longest climb runs 7.4km at an average 6.6% grade (491m of vertical). The longest descent runs 5.8km at an average 9.1% grade (528m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 21.6% over 1.1km. The steepest descent drops at 23.9% over 0.2km. Surface: 59% trail, 27% smooth, 7% technical, and 7% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 27.8 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Natrun (1253m), 3.2km from the start.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 4.7km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 16 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 7.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 14.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 3.2–7.2 km · 353 m D−, -9.0% · 13.2 km ahead → control
• 14.6–20.4 km · 528 m D−, -9.1% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 9°C to 21°C, with around 16°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 73%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 18% of days around this date.