Ultra-Trail des Paiens

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 484m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• 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 77.6km, 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–15.7km · Climb of 543m, descent of 484m averaging 7%. 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.
• Work · 15.7km–59.3km · Descent of 322m averaging 12%, climb of 649m, descent of 896m averaging 5%. Plus 1 more climb. 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.
• Fade · 59.3km–98.1km · Climb of 622m, high point 817m, descent of 712m averaging 7%, climb of 503m. Plus 1 more climb 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. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 98.1km–109km · 11.3km 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 3900m+. With 36m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 37% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 25% flat. The longest climb runs 10.3km at an average 6.3% grade (649m of vertical). The longest descent runs 18.8km at an average 4.8% grade (896m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 20.6% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 23.4% over 0.2km. Surface: 56% trail, 23% smooth, and 19% road.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Heidenkopf (787m), 91.3km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Mont Sainte-Odile (764m). The course also passes close to Hohenburgerberg (720m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 18.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 50 of 100), with 49% of the load in the first half: 4 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 77.6km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 8.9–15.7 km · 484 m D−, -7.1% · 93.7 km ahead → control
• #3 · 27.5–30.3 km · 322 m D−, -11.5% · 79.2 km ahead → control
• #2 · 40.5–59.3 km · 896 m D−, -4.8% · 50.1 km ahead → control
• #4 · 66.8–77.6 km · 712 m D−, -6.6% · 31.8 km ahead → control
• 91.1–98.1 km · 575 m D−, -8.2% · 11.3 km ahead → your pace
• Plus 1 more notable descent not listed: your pace.