Ultra Géant de Provence - UGP

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 30% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 808m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 612m 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 84.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 109km.
• 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–16.8km · Climb of 1135m. 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 · 16.8km–66.3km · Descent of 808m averaging 10%, descent of 336m averaging 9%, climb of 1358m, high point 1877m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 66.3km–109km · Descent of 1617m averaging 9%, climb of 909m. 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 109km–120km · Descent of 612m averaging 6%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 5700m+. With 46m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 42% downhill and 17% flat. The longest climb runs 16.8km at an average 6.8% grade (1135m of vertical). The longest descent runs 18.0km at an average 9.0% grade (1617m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 39.8% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 25.9% over 0.9km. Surface: 58% trail, 26% smooth, and 15% road.