Rothrock 50K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 267m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Start easy and control your HR up to 26.8km.
• Hold your race pace up to Big Flat, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 8.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 49.5km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.5km–26.8km · Descent of 267m averaging 5%. 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.
• Work · 26.8km–28.4km · Climb of 172m, high point 737m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Fade · 28.4km–49.5km · 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 49.5km–52.9km · Descent of 288m averaging 8%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 1550m+. With 29m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 28% of the distance is uphill, 28% downhill and 43% flat. The longest climb runs 4.3km at an average 6.0% grade (258m of vertical). The longest descent runs 5.6km at an average 4.8% grade (267m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 34.6% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 39.8% over 0.3km. Surface: 87% trail and 11% smooth.

Summits

The course also passes close to Little Flat (738m), Big Flat (732m), and Little Mountain (546m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 3.2km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 22 of 100), with 37% 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 8.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 49.5km.
• #1 · 2.7–8.2 km · 267 m D−, -4.8% · 44.7 km ahead → control