Ultra-Trail des Chevaliers

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 515m 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 106km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.6km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.6km–12.1km · Descent of 515m averaging 8%. 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.
• Work · 12.1km–81.1km · Climb of 558m, descent of 484m averaging 9%, descent of 322m averaging 12%. 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.
• Fade · 81.1km–146km · Descent of 681m averaging 5%, climb of 625m, climb of 501m. Plus 1 more climb and 3 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 146km–157km · 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 5100m+. With 32m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 26% flat. The longest climb runs 7.6km at an average 8.2% grade (625m of vertical). The longest descent runs 14.0km at an average 4.9% grade (681m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 32.5% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 22.4% over 0.3km. Surface: 57% trail, 21% smooth, and 17% road.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Heidenkopf (787m), 139km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Mont Sainte-Odile (764m) and Galtz (732m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 25.0km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 64 of 100), with 48% 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 106km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 5.7–12.1 km · 515 m D−, -8.1% · 145.0 km ahead → control
• #2 · 57.6–63.0 km · 484 m D−, -9.0% · 94.1 km ahead → control
• #4 · 74.8–77.6 km · 322 m D−, -11.5% · 79.5 km ahead → control
• #3 · 92.5–106.4 km · 681 m D−, -4.9% · 50.6 km ahead → control
• 138.8–145.8 km · 575 m D−, -8.2% · 11.3 km ahead → your pace
• Plus 2 more notable descents not listed: your pace.