E250 - UNESCO Trail

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1504m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Big early climb with 1900m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• Final 967m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 172km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 254km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.6km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.6km–11.3km · Climb of 1456m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 11.3km–129km · Descent of 1504m averaging 17%, descent of 1593m averaging 16%, descent of 1682m averaging 15%. Plus 6 more climbs and 3 descents. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 129km–254km · Descent of 1448m averaging 14%, climb of 1572m, descent of 1025m averaging 17%. Plus 6 more climbs and 3 descents. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 254km–263km · Descent of 967m 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 18000m+. With 69m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 42% downhill and 18% flat. The longest climb runs 13.8km at an average 13.8% grade (1901m of vertical). The longest descent runs 22.6km at an average 7.0% grade (1572m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 56.8% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 40.1% over 0.4km. Surface: 67% trail, 12% road, 10% smooth, and 8% technical.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Heruhubel (2293m), 82.5km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Wyssi Flue (1869m). The course also passes close to Fuli Flue (2119m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 35.0km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is extreme (index 92 of 100): more runnable descent than most 100-milers. Without downhill preparation the quads give out long before the finish.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 172km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 254km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 11.3–20.2 km · 1504 m D−, -16.8% · 242.3 km ahead → control
• #4 · 34.0–39.1 km · 1085 m D−, -21.1% · 223.4 km ahead → control
• #2 · 43.7–53.7 km · 1593 m D−, -15.9% · 208.8 km ahead → control
• #6 · 70.4–74.7 km · 685 m D−, -16.0% · 187.8 km ahead → control
• #3 · 82.7–94.1 km · 1682 m D−, -14.7% · 168.4 km ahead → control
• #8 · 119.1–124.0 km · 379 m D−, -7.8% · 138.6 km ahead → control
• #5 · 134.7–145.1 km · 1448 m D−, -13.9% · 117.5 km ahead → control
• #7 · 166.1–172.0 km · 1025 m D−, -17.3% · 90.5 km ahead → control
• 254.1–262.5 km · 967 m D−, -11.4% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 2 more notable descents not listed: your pace.