Eryri 100M

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 57% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 821m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 720m 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 descents until 96.7km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 151km.
• 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–11.7km · Climb of 878m, descent of 617m averaging 13%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 11.7km–81.0km · Descent of 1021m averaging 14%, descent of 821m averaging 9%, high point 1050m, descent of 700m averaging 12%. Plus 4 more climbs and 2 descents. 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 · 81.0km–151km · Descent of 569m averaging 21%, descent of 645m averaging 7%, climb of 855m. Plus 5 more climbs and 5 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. 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 151km–160km · Descent of 720m averaging 8%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 9200m+. With 56m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 37% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 24% flat. The longest climb runs 7.0km at an average 12.2% grade (855m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.4km at an average 8.7% grade (821m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 37.5% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 56.7% over 0.3km. Surface: 48% trail, 23% smooth, 17% technical, and 6% road.