HK48

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 360m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 27% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 1651m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 20.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 32.9km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.5km–16.6km · Descent of 360m averaging 13%, climb of 525m. Plus 2 more climbs and 1 descent. 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 · 16.6km–28.8km · Descent of 480m averaging 11%, climb of 995m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 28.8km–32.9km · Climb of 259m, high point 2112m. Plus 1 more 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 32.9km–47.5km · Descent of 1651m averaging 11%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 2940m+. With 61m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 44% of the distance is uphill, 44% downhill and 12% flat. The longest climb runs 7.9km at an average 12.6% grade (995m of vertical). The longest descent runs 14.6km at an average 11.3% grade (1651m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 29.8% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 27.5% over 0.7km. Surface: 68% trail, 13% road, 13% smooth, and 5% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 74.3 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Hundstein (2117m), 33.0km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Hochkasern (2017m) and Schwalbenwand (2011m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 8.5km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 39 of 100), with 37% 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 mountain, save your quads on the descents until 20.9km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 32.9km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 8.1–10.8 km · 360 m D−, -13.1% · 36.7 km ahead → control
• #2 · 16.6–21.0 km · 480 m D−, -10.9% · 26.6 km ahead → control
• 32.9–47.5 km · 1651 m D−, -11.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 7°C to 16°C, with around 12°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 72%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 18% of days around this date.