Radical

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Final 520m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Steep 30% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 16.4km.
• 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–10.1km · Plus 2 more climbs and 2 descents. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 10.1km–16.4km · Climb of 474m, high point 1110m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 16.4km–19.5km · Descent of 520m averaging 17%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 1100m+. With 55m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 53% of the distance is uphill, 37% downhill and 10% flat. The longest climb runs 6.3km at an average 7.5% grade (474m of vertical). The longest descent runs 3.1km at an average 16.8% grade (520m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 24.9% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 46.6% over 0.2km. Flat-equivalent effort: 28.5 FlatKM.

Poles

The course is runnable enough that trekking poles are not needed.

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, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 16.4km.
• 7.0–10.1 km · 302 m D−, -9.9% · 9.4 km ahead → your pace
• 16.4–19.5 km · 520 m D−, -16.8% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end