Kackar 20K

Race strategy

Run hard on the first mountain, but save energy for the second.

• Big early climb with 1080m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• Steep 40% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 404m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 893m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 9.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 11.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 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–9.5km · Climb of 1077m, high point 2420m, descent of 404m averaging 11%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 9.5km–11.6km · Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 11.6km–19.8km · Descent of 893m averaging 11%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 1400m+. With 70m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 37% of the distance is uphill, 54% downhill and 9% flat. The longest climb runs 5.8km at an average 18.5% grade (1077m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.1km at an average 11.0% grade (893m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 50.9% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 26.2% over 0.3km. Surface: 44% smooth, 26% road, and 21% trail.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 3.6km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 20 of 100), with 30% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.