Nakawé 53K

Race strategy

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

• 599m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 37% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 36.1km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.9km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.9km–28.2km · Climb of 874m, descent of 599m averaging 13%, climb of 650m, high point 999m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 28.2km–36.1km · Descent of 613m averaging 8%. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
• Home · 36.1km–52.4km · 16.2km 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 2500m+. With 47m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 36% downhill and 24% flat. The longest climb runs 9.8km at an average 6.7% grade (650m of vertical). The longest descent runs 7.9km at an average 7.7% grade (613m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 28.0% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 36.8% over 0.7km. Surface: 40% smooth, 19% road, and 6% trail. Flat-equivalent effort: 75.3 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 7.9km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 29 of 100), with 32% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 36.1km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 8.2–12.8 km · 599 m D−, -13.0% · 39.6 km ahead → control
• #2 · 28.2–36.1 km · 613 m D−, -7.7% · 16.2 km ahead → control

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 19°C to 23°C, with around 20°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 3%.