Verbier Marathon

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 628m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 30% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• High point at 2639m. Control your HR at altitude.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 16.0km, 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–16.0km · Climb of 920m, descent of 628m averaging 8%. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Work · 16.0km–24.4km · Climb of 767m, high point 2639m. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 24.4km–38.0km · Descent of 1765m averaging 13%. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 38.0km–45.3km · Climb of 623m. 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 2900m+. With 62m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 44% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 13% flat. The longest climb runs 8.5km at an average 10.8% grade (920m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.6km at an average 13.0% grade (1765m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 36.3% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 32.6% over 0.3km. Surface: 66% trail, 16% road, 11% technical, and 6% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 73.2 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Mont Brûlé (2572m), 8.6km from the start.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 5.9km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 38 of 100), with 39% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 16.0km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 8.5–16.0 km · 628 m D−, -8.4% · 29.4 km ahead → control
• #2 · 24.5–38.0 km · 1765 m D−, -13.0% · 7.3 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 6°C to 15°C, with around 11°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 47%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 7% of days around this date.