Mistral Marathon Trail - MMT

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1029m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 30% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 30.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 42.1km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.2km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.2km–15.2km · Climb of 679m. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. 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 · 15.2km–37.3km · Descent of 1029m averaging 7%, high point 1150m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 37.3km–42.1km · Plus 1 more climb. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 42.1km–48.6km · Descent of 415m 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 2500m+. With 49m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 46% of the distance is uphill, 35% downhill and 19% flat. The longest climb runs 7.3km at an average 9.3% grade (679m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.1km at an average 6.8% grade (1029m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 25.9% over 0.9km. The steepest descent drops at 30.3% over 0.6km. Surface: 55% trail, 30% smooth, and 16% road.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Pic du Comte (1154m), 17.6km from the start.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.9km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 27 of 100), with 50% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 30.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 42.1km.
• #1 · 15.2–30.3 km · 1029 m D−, -6.8% · 18.3 km ahead → control
• 42.1–48.6 km · 415 m D−, -6.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end