Canyons 100K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 828m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 28% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 61.0km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–2.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.1km–17.6km · Descent of 828m averaging 6%, high point 1529m, climb of 575m. 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 · 17.6km–50.2km · Descent of 500m averaging 16%, descent of 806m averaging 10%, descent of 905m averaging 6%. Plus 2 more climbs. 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 · 50.2km–84.9km · Descent of 421m averaging 8%. Plus 1 more climb 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 84.9km–97.9km · 13.0km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 3750m+. With 38m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 30% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 25% flat. The longest climb runs 4.6km at an average 12.4% grade (575m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.0km at an average 6.0% grade (905m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 32.9% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 28.2% over 0.7km. Surface: 81% trail, 7% road, and 7% smooth.

Summits

The course also passes close to Robie Point (367m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 13.7km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 54 of 100), with 65% of the load in the first half: 5 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 61.0km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 0.0–13.0 km · 828 m D−, -6.4% · 84.9 km ahead → control
• #4 · 17.6–20.8 km · 500 m D−, -15.6% · 77.0 km ahead → control
• #2 · 23.6–31.3 km · 806 m D−, -10.5% · 66.6 km ahead → control
• #3 · 35.2–50.2 km · 905 m D−, -6.0% · 47.6 km ahead → control
• #5 · 56.0–61.0 km · 421 m D−, -8.4% · 36.8 km ahead → control
• 81.7–84.9 km · 351 m D−, -11.1% · 13.0 km ahead → your pace