Garmisch-Partenkirchen Trail

Race strategy

Run the climb at race pace, build your speed on the downhill, and go all out at the finish.

• Steep 26% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 1310m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 15.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–2.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.3km–15.6km · Climb of 1467m, high point 2017m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 15.6km–28.8km · Descent of 1310m averaging 10%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 1565m+. With 54m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 26% flat. The longest climb runs 15.6km at an average 9.4% grade (1467m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.2km at an average 9.9% grade (1310m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 26.0% over 0.8km. The steepest descent drops at 27.4% over 0.2km. Surface: 70% trail, 21% road, and 7% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 43.4 FlatKM.

Summits

The course also passes close to Osterfelderkopf (2060m) and Kreuzeck (1651m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 6.8km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 22 of 100), with 10% of the load in the first half: 0 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 15.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 15.6–28.8 km · 1310 m D−, -9.9% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 15°C to 27°C, with around 14°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 65%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 17% of days around this date.