Verbier Marathon X-Treme

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1510m gain. Control your HR at altitude.
• Steep 54% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 811m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 16.1km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–12.0km · Climb of 1514m, high point 3049m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 12.0km–20.8km · Descent of 811m averaging 20%. Plus 2 more climbs and 1 descent. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 20.8km–34.3km · Descent of 1764m 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 · 34.3km–41.4km · 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 3000m+. With 70m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 44% of the distance is uphill, 41% downhill and 15% flat. The longest climb runs 12.0km at an average 12.6% grade (1514m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.5km at an average 13.1% grade (1764m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 53.8% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 32.7% over 0.3km. Surface: 55% trail, 17% technical, 17% road, 6% extreme, and 5% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 71.2 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Mont Rogneux (3084m), 12.0km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Mont Brûlé (2572m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 8.2km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 37 of 100), with 36% 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 16.1km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 12.0–16.1 km · 811 m D−, -19.8% · 25.3 km ahead → control
• #2 · 20.8–34.3 km · 1764 m D−, -13.1% · 7.1 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 6°C to 15°C, with around 8°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.