Grainau Trail

Race strategy

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

• Start easy and control your HR up to 7.6km.
• Final 742m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 7.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 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–7.6km · Climb of 727m, high point 1441m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 7.6km–15.7km · Descent of 742m averaging 9%. 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 760m+. With 48m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 31% downhill and 34% flat. The longest climb runs 7.6km at an average 9.6% grade (727m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.1km at an average 9.2% grade (742m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 31.8% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 28.9% over 0.2km. Surface: 69% trail, 23% road, and 7% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 22.6 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 2.4km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 12 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 7.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 7.6–15.6 km · 742 m D−, -9.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 14°C to 27°C, with around 15°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 67%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 17% of days around this date.