About Wild 70
Wild 70 is the 72.0km ultra trail at Wildstrubel by UTMB 2027 (Kandersteg, Switzerland). The race starts on September 10, 2027 at 07:00 AM. It starts in Kandersteg and finishes in Crans-Montana. The time limit is 17 h 30 min.
Race strategy
Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.
- Steep 43% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
- 1131m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
- The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
- 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 34.5km, then run your race pace.
- Start · 0.0km–2.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
- Settle in · 2.1km–16.7km · Climb of 1192m, descent of 1131m averaging 18%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
- Work · 16.7km–34.5km · Climb of 536m, climb of 593m, descent of 962m averaging 15%. Plus 1 more 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
- Fade · 34.5km–61.6km · Climb of 1704m, high point 2761m. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
- Home · 61.6km–69.5km · 7.9km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
Course
The course climbs 4600m+. With 64m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 40% downhill and 19% flat. The longest climb runs 14.1km at an average 12.1% grade (1704m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.0km at an average 10.5% grade (1369m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 42.6% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 33.5% over 0.5km. Surface: 49% trail, 25% technical, and 22% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 103.0 FlatKM.
Summits
The highest summit on the course is Blattihubel (2189m), 45.9km from the start. The course also passes close to Sillerenbühl (1976m).
Poles
Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 10.7km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.
Quad damage
Quad damage risk is moderate (index 47 of 100), with 63% 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 descents until 34.5km, then run your race pace.
- #1 · 10.4–16.7 km · 1131 m D−, -18.0% · 52.8 km ahead → control
- #2 · 28.0–34.5 km · 962 m D−, -14.7% · 35.0 km ahead → control
- 48.6–61.6 km · 1369 m D−, -10.5% · 7.9 km ahead → your pace
This page has a pacing and nutrition planner, a gradient matrix, an interactive elevation profile and historical weather for Wild 70.
