Chianti Ultra Trail

Race strategy

Run the climb at race pace, build your speed on the downhill, and go all out at the finish.

• 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.
• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–2.0km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.0km–54.6km · 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 54.6km–67.4km · 5.9km of runnable trail, high point 900m. Plus 1 more descent. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. 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 · 67.4km–72.6km · 5.2km 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 3000m+. With 41m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 37% downhill and 28% flat. The longest climb runs 3.2km at an average 9.4% grade (298m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.9km at an average 7.6% grade (520m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 19.0% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 23.2% over 0.2km. Flat-equivalent effort: 88.8 FlatKM.

Summits

The course also passes close to Monte San Michele (893m), Poggio Pedano (857m), and Poggio Querciabella (848m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 6.2km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 33 of 100), with 53% of the load in the first half: 0 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• 60.5–67.4 km · 520 m D−, -7.6% · 5.2 km ahead → your pace