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

The head coach of REVEL’s Online Coaching Program, who has run a Boston Qualifying time in all the REVEL marathons, including all four Mt Charleston Marathons in 2016-19, has prepared a detailed description of the 2020 Mt Charleston Marathon and Half-Marathon courses.

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 Charleston Marathon course can be divided into seven sections:

Mile 1: Warmup
Miles 2-4: Swift Downhill
Mile 5: Tiny Loop (with two short climbs)
Miles 6-21: Steady and Fast
Miles 22-23: Flatten Out
Mile 24: Get Past This Short Climb
Miles 25-26.2: Pick It Up for the Finish

The Mt Charleston Half-Marathon course can be divided into four similar sections:

Miles 1-8: Swift Downhill
Miles 9-10: Flatten Out
Mile 11: Get Past This Short Climb
Miles 12-13.1: Pick It Up for the 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

Mile 1: Warmup

Starting at almost 7,600’ elevation, the start of the marathon is near the Mt Charleston Lodge on Kyle Canyon Road. The first 1/10 mile is around a small hook shape on the road adjacent to the Lodge, and it is extremely narrow with a short climb. Once you make the turn on that loop, you will be heading back toward the staging area. Then, after you pass the Lodge, the next 1/4 mile climbs almost 60’ as you exit the starting area. This definitely should be just a nice easy warm up for you. Start out nice and slow, and conserve your energy. After you get past this first half-mile, the rest of mile 1 descends about 100' with zero climbing.

Miles 2-4: Swift Downhill

After the mile 1 marker, the next 3 miles drop well over 700’ total, with an average of 4.6% downhill grade and no climbing until the last 1/10 mile before the 4-mile marker. This is a segment where you do not want to get caught up with the pace of other runners if they are passing you. You still have many miles to go, and you want to conserve your energy for the miles ahead. If you feel yourself working too hard, then simply slow down.

Mile 5: Tiny Loop (with two short climbs)

As you approach mile 4, there is a climb of about 40’ as you approach The Mt Charleston Resort on your right. Once you pass the Resort, this short climb is over. Not long after that, just before mile 5, you will reach a roundabout (traffic circle) at the entrance to the United States Forest Service’s Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway. At this point, the course diverts from the main road – Kyle Canyon Road – into the visitor center parking lot. You will make a counterclockwise loop around the parking lot before re-entering the main road again.

The loop around the visitor center begins at mile 4.85 of the marathon. It ends at mile 5.2, so the total distance around the parking area is only about 1/3 mile. However, you will climb about 35’ for the first half of that loop, and then descend the same elevation as you exit the parking lot.

Miles 6-21: Steady and Fast

When you exit the visitor center parking area, you will be at roughly 6,600’ of elevation. For the next 16 miles, you will lose more than 3,700’ of elevation. That’s an average of about 4.4% elevation loss per mile, which is what makes this course so extremely fast. More importantly, there is only one climb in that entire stretch, and it happens about mile 12.5. That one is a short but very visible climb that is over fairly quickly: the entire climb is only about 1/8 of a mile long. Be wary of a sensation of “running too fast” in this entire stretch of the race. If you feel out of control, or if you feel yourself working “too hard” while running downhill, then ease back your effort.

Miles 22-23: Flatten Out

Just past mile 21, you will make a right turn onto the frontage road along U.S. 95. After the previous 16 miles of steady downhill, you will certainly feel how the 4% downhill grade quickly becomes a 2% downhill grade. Keep in mind that you will still lose about 226’ of elevation in this stretch of the race, with no elevation gain. However, the flatter terrain will make it feel like climbing.

Mile 24: Get Past This Short Climb

As you approach mile 23.2, with only three miles to go, you will make a right turn onto Grand Teton Drive. The elevation at that turn is 2,659’. Then you will run a short - but steep - climb to Fort Apache Road, where you will turn left. From that turn onto Fort Apache, it is just over a half-mile to “top out” a slow climb to mile 23.95, where the elevation is 2,690’. After that, the course begins the gradual descent to the finish. 

Miles 25-26.2: Pick It Up for the Finish

Once you reach mile 24, you can say to yourself "now downhill to the finish!" The elevation loss from mile 24 to the finish is over 170’ – a nice downhill for your final 2.2 miles! Better yet, you will encounter terrific crowds who will cheer you towards the finish line of the fast and beautiful Mt Charleston Marathon!

Summary of the Marathon Course

The Mt Charleston Marathon course loses roughly 5,100’ of elevation from start to finish. Over the 26.2-mile course, you likely will surprise yourself with your speed on the downhill segments. Although it is generally true that you never want to "go out too fast" in the opening miles of a marathon, remember that gravity is your friend, and you want to take advantage of the benefits of downhill running.

THE HALF-MARATHON COURSE

Miles 1-8: Swift Downhill

Starting at over 4,500’ of elevation, the course drops 1,660’ from the start to mile 8, with zero elevation gain in that stretch. That is an average of more than 200' per mile, which is a significant but manageable descent each mile. You will want to manage the early part of this downhill segment 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.

Miles 9-10: Flatten Out

Just past mile 8, you will make a right turn onto the frontage road along U.S. 95. After more than 8 miles of steady downhill, you will certainly feel how the 4% downhill grade quickly becomes a 2% downhill grade. Keep in mind that you will still lose about 200’ of elevation in this stretch of the race, with no elevation gain. However, the flatter terrain will make it feel like climbing.

Mile 11: Get Past This Short Climb

Just past mile 10, with about 3 miles to go, you will make a right turn onto Grand Teton Drive. The elevation at that turn is 2,659’. Then you will run a short - but steep - climb to Fort Apache Road, where you will turn left. From that turn onto Fort Apache, it is just over a half-mile to “top out” a slow climb to mile 10.8, where the elevation is 2,690’. After that, the course begins the gradual descent to the finish.

Miles 12-13.1: Pick It Up for the Finish

Once you reach mile 11, you can say to yourself "now downhill to the finish!" The elevation loss from mile 11 to the finish is over 170’ – a nice downhill for your final 2.1 miles! Better yet, you will encounter terrific crowds who will cheer you towards the finish line of the fast and beautiful Mt Charleston Half-Marathon!

Summary of the Half-Marathon Course

The Mt Charleston Half-Marathon course loses more than 2,000’ of elevation from start to finish. With an average loss of more than 150’ per mile, 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 24-time REVEL Marathon Finisher and has run multiple Boston Qualifiers on every REVEL course. His current streak is 22 BQs in a row at REVEL marathons!

All events associated with the REVEL Race Series are scheduled to take place as planned. The safety of our participants and volunteers is our absolute top priority and we are therefore monitoring the developing situation on a daily basis to ensure appropriate measures are taken.

The following additional precautions will be employed:

• -Increased hand sanitizer and hand washing stations at the expo, start venues, and finish area.
• -Screening of volunteers to ensure that no symptomatic individuals participate in the event.
• -Extensive training of volunteers and staff regarding appropriate sanitation and hygiene measures.
• -Frequent sanitization of high-touch surfaces at race venues.
• -Runners are discouraged from participating if they feel ill in any way.
• -Runners are encouraged to follow important health guidelines such as regularly washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and maintaining a safe distance from other individuals. 

We remind our participants of the generous transfer/withdrawal/deferral policies that have always been in place at REVEL events. Those who wish to forego participation are encouraged to take advantage of those policies. 

A course strategy – and overall race strategy – is a must for optimal performance on race day. Whether this is your first REVEL 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 REVEL Kulia course!

The head coach of REVEL’s Online Coaching Program, who has run a Boston Qualifier in all the REVEL marathons he has run, has prepared a detailed description of the Kulia Marathon and Half-Marathon courses.

Managing the Course Based on Segments

A critical component of your race 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 Kulia Marathon course can be divided into four sections:

Miles 1-7: Blazing Fast Start

Miles 8-13: Slow Down and Hang on

Miles 14-20: Pick Up Speed

Miles 21-26.2: Cruise to the Finish 

Similarly, the Kulia Half-Marathon course can be divided into four sections:

Miles 1-7: Extremely Fast Start

Mile 8: Short Slowdown

Miles 9-12: Cruising to the Coast

Mile 13-F: 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 1-7: Blazing Fast Start

Starting at almost 5,400’ elevation, the marathon starts near the Kilohana Girl Scout Camp on the western slopes of Mauna Kea. The first 8 miles of the course generally trend north/northwest, which means that the rising sun will be mostly at your back.

The first seven miles of the course lose 2,591' of total elevation (grade of -7%), making this one of the fastest starts of any marathon anywhere. With the average loss of 370' per mile, the downhill grade of this section is extremely fast, meaning you will need to get your legs moving right away. Resist the urge to push your pace hard in these first miles. There is a lot of downhill ahead, and you want to manage the early downhills by easing into your pace, settling in for the long haul, and letting gravity pull you along at a comfortably fast pace.

Miles 8-13: Slow Down and Hang on

When you pass the mile 7 marker and begin mile 8, you will have lost almost 2,600’ of elevation since the start of the marathon. That is 48% of the total elevation loss of the course, but only a little more than one-quarter of the total distance of the race. Although there is still a significant amount of downhill remaining in the final 19 miles (more than 2,700' of loss), the first real challenge of this course will be holding onto your goal pace for miles 8-13 on legs that have worked hard over the first 7 miles.

One important mental note to make here is that after mile 8, the course makes the first of only a handful of hard turns on the entire course. After running on Saddle Road for the first 8 miles, you will make a hard-left turn, heading south/southwest on Mamalahoa Highway. Not only does the elevation make a noticeable change, but you literally change directions.

Miles 9 and 10 together lose just over 30'. Essentially, this is a totally flat section. Mile 11 actually gains 48' overall, and mile 12 gains another 16’. The slowdown you experience here will simply mean that gravity is no longer assisting you very much (for the moment). Mile 13 loses 149' of elevation, and you will start to feel gravity helping you again as you approach the halfway mark. That is where you want to starting thinking about a second surge of acceleration ahead.

Miles 14-20: Pick Up Speed

Two important things happen as you approach mile 13. First, you make the second hard turn of the course, which mentally is always helpful when running through a tough stretch. Second, you begin the next sharp descent towards the finish: miles 14-20 lose 1,656' overall. Although those aren't the kind of whopping downhills you saw in miles 1-7, this section loses, on average, 237' per mile, which is a -4.5% grade. Generally, you should find it easy to accelerate to a pace that is similar to what you maintained from miles 1-7. You might not be quite as fast as earlier miles, but the more gradual downhill of this section will make it easier to sustain your goal pace, or faster than goal pace, all the way to mile 20.

Miles 21-26.2: Cruise to the Finish

The last 10K of the marathon course is a continuation of the long, sustained downhill section that began way back at mile 13. Even better, the downhill in the closing 6.2 miles is less severe than the earlier segments, which is easier on tired legs.

The final 6.2 miles of the course lose 796’, or an average of roughly 128’ per mile. This is a comfortable downhill section of -2.4% grade, and you should be able to sustain your goal pace throughout the final 10K.

Just before mile 25, you make the third hard turn of the course, turning left onto Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway. Miles 25 and 26 are mostly on the blacktop highway, surrounded by lava fields on both sides of the road. Although the final 2.2 miles lose 194’ total, it will feel very flat, exposed, and slow. Be prepared to work hard through this stretch as you head towards the finish at Queens’ Marketplace and the stunning Waikoloa Bowl at Queens' Garden.

Summary of the Marathon Course

The REVEL Kulia Marathon course loses 5,354' overall, more than a mile of elevation from start to finish. Over the 26.2-mile course, you likely will surprise yourself with your speed on the downhill segments. Although it is generally true that you never want to run “too fast" at any point in a marathon, remember that gravity is your friend, and you want to take advantage of the benefits of downhill running. In that regard, it makes sense to run as fast as you can comfortably run on the downhills, hold on during the middle flats and climbs, and then turn on the acceleration again for the second half of the race.

The Half-Marathon Course

Miles 1-7: Extremely Fast Start

Starting at 2,480’ of elevation, the course drops 1,645’ in the first 7 miles, which is an average grade of -4.5%. The average loss per mile here is 235’, making this a very fast start. You will need to resist the urge to chase people as they pass you. While you want to take advantage of gravity throughout this course by running fast on the downhills, you need to manage the downhill drops 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 fast.” If you do, then you should ease back a bit and aim for a “comfortably hard” pace.

Mile 8: Short Slowdown

Mile 8 drops 32' overall, but there is a climb of about 35' that starts shortly after the 7-mile mark. After that, the course drops about 65', making this the slowest mile of the course so far.

You can expect a short slowdown in this mile due to the short climbs and flatter terrain. You will need to “switch gears” to a slower pace based on even effort and should be prepared to run slightly slower than your goal pace on the uphill segments. Also, you really do not want to concern yourself with runners passing you if that happens. It is easy in a race to get caught up with the pace of other runners. Remember, you have some downhill miles ahead where you can expect to speed up significantly to finish the race, and you want to conserve your energy for the finish. If you feel yourself working too hard in this section, then simply lower your overall effort.

Miles 9-12: Cruising to the Coast

Miles 9-12 are similar to the long, sustained downhill section from miles 1-7. Even better, the downhill is less severe than the earlier miles, which is easier on tired legs. Overall, this section drops 694’, or an average of roughly 174’ per mile. This is a comfortable downhill grade of -3.3%, and you should have no problem sustaining your goal pace throughout this section.

Mile 13-F: Flat Finish

Just before mile 12, you make the first hard turn of the course, turning left onto Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway. The next mile is mostly on the blacktop highway, surrounded by lava fields on both sides of the road. Although the final 1.1 miles lose 69’ total, it will feel very flat, exposed, and slow. Be prepared to work hard through this stretch as you head towards the finish at Queens’ Marketplace and the stunning Waikoloa Bowl at Queens' Garden.

Summary of the Half-Marathon Course

The REVEL Kulia Half-Marathon course loses more than 2,400’ of elevation from start to finish. With an average loss of more than 188' per mile (a grade of -3.5%), 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 "faster than normal" pace on the downhill segments.

Paul Carmona is the Online REVEL Coach who has designed training plans specifically for REVEL downhill courses. He is a 23-time REVEL Marathon Finisher and has run multiple Boston Qualifiers on every REVEL course that he has run, with his current streak at 21 BQs in a row at REVEL marathons!

Preparing for a marathon has many challenges. Most familiar to marathon runners are the physical challenges and milestones. Regardless of the marathon training plan you chose, there will be well-defined goals and markers of progress – did you reach your miles for the week? How about times? You will probably have a specific goal for race day as well; you might be aiming for a personal record, or you might be happy to finish the race without injury.

But what about the mental part of running? Often overlooked, having an approach to preparing your mind is equally important. Finishing a marathon – or any race – successfully requires mental strength. And, like running, you need to practice over time for the best results. Here are some tips for improving mental fortitude.

Set a goal. Be honest with yourself. First race? Hoping to finish? Do not be ashamed if a short walk is needed during the race. Keep focused on the goal – finishing the race. If your objective is to meet or beat a certain time, prepare for that and stay focused as you chip away at each milestone. Having a clear goal allows you to stay zeroed in on what matters most when the run is most difficult.

Visualize Victory. Take your goal and see it happening in your mind. This is a good technique to use during the most difficult parts of the race. Realize the objective you had in mind. See yourself meeting the marks you set. See yourself finishing the race. Use this to stay on point and focused. Visualization can also be a welcome distraction as you put effort into each mile.

Voice in your head. We all have one. Some people are better at quieting the voices in their heads than others. As you approach the end of a hard effort, what is your voice telling you? “You can’t make it!” or “This knee pain is serious – you better stop or you are going to hurt yourself!” As you log your training runs, pay attention to the voice in your head and see what techniques work to help keep it at bay. The more you practice these techniques the better you will be at it. If you are racing for the first time – this voice can be loudest at the last miles. When you hit a wall, the voice can be deafening. Put techniques in place now, and stick to them as you get through your last few miles on race day.

Race Day Nerves. If you have raced before, spend time thinking about how you felt prior to the race. Start the night before. Think of the morning – both at home and while at the race in the final minutes before the start. Where did your mind go? What did you focus on? If this is your first race, try to think of other times that made you nervous. How did you react? What did you feel? Be prepared for this. In addition to knowing and understanding your tendencies, think of several simple exercises you can do to calm your mind.

• Create a mantra – a phrase you say to yourself over and over prior to race start. Mine is, “You can do this. You are prepared. Have fun!” Repeat your mantra over and over again to help find the rhythm you need to start the race.
• Do a short run, jumping jacks, pushups, or something physical to get your body firing and your mind quiet.
• Use breathing techniques. Call on meditation practices to use you breathing to center your mind and your nerves. Focus on your breathing – and concentrating on the simple and basic task of breathing – to help keep your mind focused.

There are many ways to improve your mental approach to running a marathon. Use these tips to start your own personal focus on mental preparation - and regardless of which plan you create – practice it before race day for best success!