Ultra du Saint Jacques - 100M

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 767m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 28% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 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.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 80.7km, 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–28.3km · Descent of 416m averaging 12%, climb of 798m. 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 · 28.3km–59.8km · Descent of 767m averaging 9%, descent of 258m averaging 10%, descent of 376m averaging 7%. Plus 3 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.
• Fade · 59.8km–111km · Descent of 442m averaging 14%, climb of 749m, 14.5km of runnable trail, high point 1419m. Plus 1 more descent. 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 · 111km–131km · 20.5km 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 6000m+. With 43m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 37% of the distance is uphill, 36% downhill and 27% flat. The longest climb runs 13.2km at an average 5.7% grade (749m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.4km at an average 9.1% grade (767m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 29.9% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 26.5% over 0.3km. Surface: 48% trail, 26% smooth, 19% road, and 5% technical.