Torn dera Val d'Aran

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 38% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 2360m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1238m 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 110km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 152km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–7.8km · Climb of 1277m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 7.8km–78.7km · Descent of 1323m averaging 11%, descent of 2360m averaging 11%, descent of 299m averaging 8%. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 78.7km–152km · Descent of 815m averaging 15%, descent of 634m averaging 10%, climb of 1079m. Plus 2 more climbs 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 152km–158km · Descent of 1238m averaging 19%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 10000m+. With 61m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 20% flat. The longest climb runs 13.3km at an average 7.7% grade (1024m of vertical). The longest descent runs 21.8km at an average 10.8% grade (2360m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 43.2% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 45.9% over 0.3km. Surface: 78% trail, 11% smooth, and 8% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 244.2 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Soum de l'Escalette / Tuc dera Escaleta (2466m), 28.3km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Pic de Pouylané / Tuc de Poilanèr (2221m). The course also passes close to Cap dera Cometa des Calhaus (2253m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 22.5km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 77 of 100), with 47% of the load in the first half: 5 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 110km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 152km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #2 · 7.7–19.6 km · 1323 m D−, -11.1% · 138.8 km ahead → control
• #1 · 28.3–50.1 km · 2360 m D−, -10.8% · 108.4 km ahead → control
• #5 · 75.0–78.7 km · 299 m D−, -8.1% · 79.7 km ahead → control
• #3 · 87.5–92.8 km · 815 m D−, -15.3% · 65.6 km ahead → control
• #4 · 104.0–110.3 km · 634 m D−, -10.1% · 48.1 km ahead → control
• 152.0–158.4 km · 1238 m D−, -19.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 2 more notable descents not listed: your pace.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 21°C to 31°C, with around 14°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 27%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 2% of days around this date.