Whistler 100K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1510m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1139m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 28% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 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 46.6km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 92.2km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.1km–11.2km · Climb of 1505m, high point 2159m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 11.2km–46.6km · Descent of 283m averaging 11%, descent of 1139m averaging 17%, descent of 1252m averaging 10%. 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 · 46.6km–92.2km · Climb of 503m. 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. 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 · 92.2km–98.9km · Descent of 433m averaging 6%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 5100m+. With 51m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 39% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 22% flat. The longest climb runs 11.2km at an average 13.4% grade (1505m of vertical). The longest descent runs 12.2km at an average 10.3% grade (1252m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 32.7% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 27.8% over 1.1km. Surface: 66% trail, 15% road, and 14% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 146.8 FlatKM.

Summits

The course also passes close to Whistler Mountain (2181m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 22.0km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 55 of 100), with 65% of the load in the first half: 3 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 46.6km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 92.2km.
• #3 · 11.2–13.9 km · 283 m D−, -10.5% · 84.9 km ahead → control
• #1 · 20.6–27.5 km · 1139 m D−, -16.7% · 71.4 km ahead → control
• #2 · 34.5–46.6 km · 1252 m D−, -10.3% · 52.2 km ahead → control
• 56.0–58.9 km · 364 m D−, -12.9% · 40.0 km ahead → your pace
• 92.2–98.9 km · 433 m D−, -6.5% · 0.0 km ahead → free
• Plus 1 more notable descent not listed: your pace.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 7°C to 15°C, with around 4°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 50%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 7% of days around this date.