Grindstone 100M

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1011m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• 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, save your quads on the descents until 114km, then run your race pace.
• 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–27.8km · Climb of 632m. 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 · 27.8km–85.6km · Descent of 1011m averaging 9%, descent of 478m averaging 6%, descent of 387m averaging 8%. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 85.6km–148km · Descent of 727m averaging 9%, high point 1329m, descent of 519m averaging 9%, climb of 631m. 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. 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 · 148km–167km · 19.3km 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 6400m+. With 38m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 38% of the distance is uphill, 35% downhill and 28% flat. The longest climb runs 10.2km at an average 5.3% grade (538m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.0km at an average 9.4% grade (1028m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 28.7% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 26.4% over 0.3km. Surface: 66% trail, 27% smooth, and 7% road.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Little Bald Knob (1320m), 137km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Hankey Mountain (1051m). The course also passes close to Door Knob (1038m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 17.1km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 62 of 100), with 44% 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.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 114km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 42.0–52.7 km · 1011 m D−, -9.4% · 114.6 km ahead → control
• #3 · 66.6–74.2 km · 478 m D−, -6.2% · 93.1 km ahead → control
• #4 · 81.0–85.6 km · 387 m D−, -8.5% · 81.7 km ahead → control
• #2 · 89.8–97.7 km · 727 m D−, -9.2% · 69.7 km ahead → control
• #5 · 107.9–113.6 km · 519 m D−, -9.1% · 53.8 km ahead → control
• 137.0–148.0 km · 1028 m D−, -9.4% · 19.3 km ahead → your pace