MUT 100

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 894m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 29% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 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 49.8km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 91.9km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.3km–13.2km · Climb of 702m, high point 985m. 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 · 13.2km–49.8km · Descent of 429m averaging 16%, descent of 372m averaging 8%, descent of 894m averaging 7%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 49.8km–91.9km · Plus 3 more climbs and 2 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 91.9km–99.1km · Descent of 466m averaging 6%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 4717m+. With 47m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 37% of the distance is uphill, 35% downhill and 28% flat. The longest climb runs 6.1km at an average 6.5% grade (401m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.0km at an average 6.9% grade (894m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 34.4% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 35.2% over 0.2km. Surface: 73% trail and 17% smooth.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 14.1km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 48 of 100), with 60% of the load in the first half: 3 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 49.8km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 91.9km.
• #2 · 13.2–15.9 km · 429 m D−, -16.0% · 83.2 km ahead → control
• #3 · 20.1–24.5 km · 372 m D−, -8.5% · 74.6 km ahead → control
• #1 · 36.9–49.8 km · 894 m D−, -6.9% · 49.3 km ahead → control
• 80.6–82.4 km · 362 m D−, -20.1% · 16.7 km ahead → your pace
• 91.9–99.1 km · 466 m D−, -6.4% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end
• Plus 1 more notable descent not listed: your pace.