MY50

Race strategy

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

• 325m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 545m 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 way down from it until 9.4km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 42.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–40.0km · Descent of 325m averaging 10%, high point 323m. 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. 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 · 40.0km–42.0km · Plus 1 more climb. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 42.0km–53.5km · Descent of 545m averaging 5%. 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.

Course

The course climbs 1977m+. With 36m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 24% of the distance is uphill, 26% downhill and 50% flat. The longest climb runs 6.1km at an average 4.5% grade (275m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.5km at an average 4.7% grade (545m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 40.3% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 35.6% over 0.2km. Surface: 39% smooth, 34% road, and 24% trail.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Bukit Chempedak (148m), 19.4km from the start.

Poles

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

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 25 of 100), with 47% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 9.4km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 42.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 6.1–9.4 km · 325 m D−, -9.7% · 44.1 km ahead → control
• 42.0–53.5 km · 545 m D−, -4.7% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end