About Four Summits
Four Summits is the 72.0km ultra trail at Bucovina Ultra Rocks by UTMB 2027 (Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Romania). The race starts on July 24, 2027 at 06:00 AM. It starts in Câmpulung Moldovenesc. The time limit is 20 h.
Race strategy
Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.
- 866m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
- Steep 54% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
- Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
- Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 38.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 68.9km.
- 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–15.2km · Climb of 907m. 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.
- Work · 15.2km–38.3km · Descent of 866m averaging 9%, climb of 1071m, descent of 1038m averaging 11%. 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 · 38.3km–68.9km · Climb of 1092m, high point 1838m, descent of 1471m averaging 9%. Plus 2 more climbs 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. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
- Home · 68.9km–71.2km · Descent of 462m averaging 20%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Hike the steepest pitches.
Course
The course climbs 4600m+. With 64m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 38% of the distance is uphill, 50% downhill and 12% flat. The longest climb runs 8.8km at an average 12.5% grade (1092m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.9km at an average 9.3% grade (1471m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 61.6% over 0.8km. The steepest descent drops at 37.4% over 0.6km. Flat-equivalent effort: 111.6 FlatKM.
Poles
Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 11.9km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.
Quad damage
Quad damage risk is high (index 53 of 100), with 47% of the load in the first half: 3 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.
- Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 38.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 68.9km.
- #1 · 15.2–25.1 km · 866 m D−, -8.7% · 46.1 km ahead → control
- #2 · 28.9–38.3 km · 1038 m D−, -11.0% · 32.9 km ahead → control
- #3 · 47.1–63.0 km · 1471 m D−, -9.3% · 8.3 km ahead → your pace
- 68.9–71.2 km · 462 m D−, -20.0% · 0.0 km ahead → free
This page has a pacing and nutrition planner, a gradient matrix, an interactive elevation profile and historical weather for Four Summits.
