Subject: RE: Aquafina Butte to Butte It's a bear, alright. Practice both uphill running AND downhill running (perhaps trail running would be best, to minimize impact of hill training ) prior to the race. You can take it easy on the uphill with smaller strides (some people walk the very last steepest portion ), but the downhill has bitten me twice because it ruined my untrained quads for the rest of the race.
If you are ready for the 1-mile uphill and 1.5-mile downhill portions, the rest of the race is flat flat flat and you will cut through the unprepared runners like a warm knife through butter.
If you're slower than a 9 minute per mile pace, you might have a little more issues with crowds because the walkers merge onto the course at the 2 mile point or so (but they start later than the runners ).
Oh -- almost forgot. It is totally annoying how many people ignore the posted pace signs and simply line up as close to the front as possible. (I wish this race were chip timed! ) Don't be surprised if you have to pass what seems like all of Oregon in the first mile. The hill separates out the pace groups rather rapidly, however. |