Red Race

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Start easy and control your HR up to 10.1km.
• Hold your race pace up to 16.5km, but stay in control.
• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 16.5km.
• 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–10.1km · 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 10.1km–16.5km · Descent of 240m averaging 7%, high point 497m. Plus 2 more climbs. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 16.5km–19.4km · Descent of 234m averaging 8%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course.

Course

The course climbs 1750m+. With 92m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 32% of the distance is uphill, 40% downhill and 28% flat. The longest climb runs 2.0km at an average 10.9% grade (220m of vertical). The longest descent runs 3.7km at an average 5.5% grade (199m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 26.6% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 18.4% over 0.4km. Surface: 61% trail and 36% smooth.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.9km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 13 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 16.5km.