A course strategy – and overall race strategy – is a must for optimal performance on race day. Whether this is your first downhill race and your goal is simply to finish, or you are REVEL veteran aiming for a PR or BQ, you should have a well-planned strategy for how you intend to manage the course!

Managing the Course Based On Segments

A critical component of your strategy is the course profile itself. Where are the sharp descents? Where are the climbs? Where does the course “flatten” a bit?

You want to plan your race with course segments in mind, and with an overall strategy for varying paces throughout. Your varied paces will be dictated by the elevation losses and gains, and you want to know before the race where those variations will occur.

Generally, the Mt. Lemmon Marathon course can be divided into three sections:

Miles 1-4: The Very Slow Start

Miles 5-25: Blazing Fast 21 Miles

Miles 26-26.2: The Flat Finish

Similarly, the Mt. Lemmon Half-Marathon course can be divided into four sections:

Miles 1-2: The Gently Fast Start

Mile 3: Short Slowdown

Miles 4-12: PR Territory

Miles 13-13.1: The Flat Finish

You can study the courses yourself on the REVEL website. You can zoom in, use the interactive elevation chart, and get a feel for what lays ahead of you on race day. If possible, you should drive the course before race day to get a feel for what the segments look and feel like. Knowing what to expect, and when, is helpful when preparing your course strategy.

The marathon and half-marathon courses are summarized below based on the segments described above.

The Marathon Course

Miles 1-4: The Very Slow Start

Starting at over 7,900’ elevation, the first 4 miles of the course are challenging, but with proper planning and strategy you can manage the slowdown that you almost certainly will experience here.

From the very start, the first half-mile of the race gains about 100’ of elevation, which is nearly identical to the famous “Heartbreak Hill” in The Boston Marathon. The second half of mile 1, and all of mile 2, loses elevation and can be fairly fast. Overall, mile 2 loses more than 220’ which is a comfortably fast downhill grade of -4.2%.

Miles 3 and 4 is where you can expect to slow down the most. Mile 3 gains over 280’ of elevation, and that is at altitude of roughly 8,000’. Breathing will be difficult, and the climbing will be tough. Mile 4 offers a little less of a challenge, but it still has about 150’ of gain.

Allow yourself to slow down in these climbing miles. You still have many miles to go, and you want to conserve your energy for the next 21+ miles ahead, which are all remarkably fast and markedly downhill.

Miles 5-25: Blazing Fast 21 Miles

The elevation at mile 4 is approximately 8,184’. Over the distance of the next 21 miles, all the way to mile 25, you will lose over 5,420 feet. That is more than 250’ per mile, with a downhill grade of approximately -4.7% per mile.

Resist the urge to chase people if they pass you. While you want to take advantage of gravity, you should not feel as if you are running “too hard” or “too fast.” If you do, then you should ease back a bit and aim for a “comfortably hard” pace.

There is no question that this 21-mile section is what will make Mt. Lemmon a fast race. Every mile in this stretch, except for miles 9 and 16, drops more than 200’ per mile, with most well over 250’.

Speaking of miles 9 and 16, there are a couple of short but steep climbs in those sections. At mile 8.5 and again at mile 15.5, you will encounter two climbs (around 50’ and 80’, respectively) that will slow you down a bit, but overall your pace in those sections will still be faster than what you encountered in the climbs inside the first 4 miles.

Miles 26-26.2: The Flat Finish

After mile 25, the course flattens out sharply from the prior 21 miles. Mile 26 drops less than 30’, and the final .22 drops barely over 10’.

Summary of the Marathon Course

The Mt. Lemmon Marathon course loses almost 5,200’ of elevation from start to finish, but actually loses more than that from miles 4 to the finish. Over the 26.2-mile course, you likely will surprise yourself with your speed on the downhill segments. After the anticipated slow miles from the start up to mile 4, remember that gravity is your friend for the next 21+ miles. Take advantage of the benefits of downhill running!

The Half-Marathon Course

Miles 1-2: The Gently Fast Start

Starting at 5,850’ of elevation, the course drops over 270’ from the start to mile 1, and then loses another 200’ from mile 1 to mile 2. That is a comfortable and manageable descent for your first two miles. You will want to manage the early downhill by easing into your pace, settling in for the long haul, and letting gravity pull you along at a comfortably fast pace. You should not feel as if you are running “too hard” or “too fast.” If you do, then you should ease back a bit and aim for a “comfortably hard” pace.

Mile 3: Short Slowdown

Shortly after you pass the 2-mile mark, your elevation will be 5,372’. Over the next half-mile, up to mile 2.5, you will drop to 5,170’, which is a loss of over 200’ in a half-mile. That is a big drop. However, from mile 2.5 to mile 2.63, you will climb almost 100’ to 5,268’.

You can expect a short slowdown in the second half of mile 3 due to the short, but steep, climb. You will need to “switch gears” to a slower pace based on even effort, and should be prepared to run slightly slower than you ran the first 2.5 miles. Remember, this is still fairly early in the race, and you have downhill miles ahead where you can expect to speed up significantly.

Miles 4-12: PR Territory

This is where your half-marathon personal record (“PR”) will be made. Miles 4-12 all totaled lose about 2,400’ of elevation, which is more than 260’ per mile. If you are keeping tabs on your pace, don’t be surprised to see that you have picked up significant speed. This is where gravity is your friend, and you will want to take advantage of the favorable downhill miles. However, be wary of a sensation of “running too fast.” If you feel out of control, or if you feel yourself working “too hard” while running downhill, then slow down.

Miles 13-13.1: The Flat Finish

The final 1.1 miles of the course are relatively flat. The elevation gain and loss essentially is roughly 40’ for the entire final 1.1 miles of the course.

Summary of the Half-Marathon Course

The Mt. Lemmon Half-Marathon course loses 3,125’ of elevation from start to finish. With an average loss of around 240' per mile (a grade of -4.5%), this one of the fastest half-marathon courses you will ever run. Over the 13.1-mile course, you likely will surprise yourself with your speed on the downhill segments.

Paul Carmona is the Online REVEL Coach who has designed training plans specifically for REVEL downhill courses. He is a 12-time REVEL Marathon Finisher and has run multiple Boston Qualifiers on every REVEL course!