UTAMiler

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 408m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• 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 66.9km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.0km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.0km–20.6km · Descent of 408m averaging 11%. 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 · 20.6km–94.1km · 42.0km of runnable trail, high point 1076m, descent of 338m averaging 8%. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. 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 · 94.1km–146km · 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. 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–159km · Climb of 1114m. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.

Course

The course climbs 7200m+. With 45m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 36% of the distance is uphill, 36% downhill and 28% flat. The longest climb runs 13.4km at an average 8.3% grade (1114m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.2km at an average 9.7% grade (598m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 42.0% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 56.1% over 0.2km. Surface: 46% smooth, 37% trail, and 14% road.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 16.2km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 60 of 100), with 51% of the load in the first half: 2 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.