Wild 55

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 962m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 34% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• High point at 2761m. Control your HR at altitude.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 18.1km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–2.0km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.0km–18.1km · Climb of 590m, descent of 962m averaging 15%. 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. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 18.1km–32.1km · Climb of 1704m, high point 2761m. 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 · 32.1km–45.2km · Descent of 1348m averaging 10%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 45.2km–53.1km · 8.0km 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 3300m+. With 60m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 20% flat. The longest climb runs 14.0km at an average 12.1% grade (1704m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.0km at an average 10.3% grade (1348m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 33.6% over 0.8km. The steepest descent drops at 33.5% over 0.5km. Flat-equivalent effort: 76.4 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Blattihubel (2189m), 29.5km from the start. The course also passes close to Sillerenbühl (1976m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 8.8km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 38 of 100), with 46% 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 18.1km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 11.6–18.1 km · 962 m D−, -14.7% · 35.0 km ahead → control
• #2 · 32.1–45.2 km · 1348 m D−, -10.3% · 8.0 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 4°C to 12°C, with around 7°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 50%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 10% of days around this date.