Pacing hilly races
How hills change your pace, and how to plan for them. Every number in these articles comes from the same model the planner uses.
- How to pace a hilly marathonWhy even effort beats even pace on hills, with Boston at 3:30 worked mile by mile.
- How much do hills slow you down? Pace by gradientThe equal-effort pace for every gradient from −10% to +10%, at common paces.
- What is grade-adjusted pace?The flat-ground equivalent of a hilly pace, how it is worked out, and its limits.
- Even effort vs even pace: which wins on a hilly course?How far an even-effort plan drifts from an even pace band on five real courses.
- How to pace downhills in a road raceHow much quicker a descent should be, and where the big ones are on real courses.
- How to export a GPX from Strava or Garmin ConnectGetting a GPX out of Strava or Garmin Connect, and cleaning it up for a race plan.
- How to get a GPX file of your race courseFour places to find the course file, and four checks before you trust it.
Ready to make one? Generate a pace band from your GPX. Looking for a specific race? See the race course pace plans.