Lavaredo 20K

Race strategy

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

• Steep 35% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 947m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 10.2km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–2.2km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.2km–10.2km · Climb of 980m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 10.2km–19.3km · Descent of 947m averaging 10%, high point 2103m. 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 1000m+. With 50m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 29% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 31% flat. The longest climb runs 10.2km at an average 9.6% grade (980m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.1km at an average 10.4% grade (947m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 35.3% over 0.7km. The steepest descent drops at 27.0% over 0.4km. Surface: 68% trail, 18% road, and 6% technical.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 3.0km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 17 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 10.2km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 10.2–19.3 km · 947 m D−, -10.4% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end