REVEL Chilliwack Course Preview
REVEL Race Series
July 10, 2019

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 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 REVEL Chilliwack Marathon course can be divided into five sections:

Km 1-5: Cruising Downhill Warm Up (miles 1-3)

Km 6-18: Turn on the Speed (miles 4-11)

Km 19-26: Drop and Roll (miles 12-16)

Km 27-36: Up and Down Slowdown (miles 17-22)

Km 37-42.2: Steady Finish (miles 23-26.2)

Similarly, the REVEL Chilliwack Half-Marathon course can be divided into three sections:

Km 1-5: Rolling Downhill Warm Up (miles 1-3)

Km 6-15: Up and Down Slowdown (miles 4-9)

Km 16-21.1: Steady Finish (miles 10-13.1)

You can study the courses yourself on the REVEL Chilliwack website (select km/meters or miles/feet to see distances and elevation). You can zoom in, use the interactive elevation chart, and get a feel for what is ahead of you on race day.

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

Note: The REVEL Chilliwack marathon and half-marathon will be marked using kilometers, not miles. The course review is based on segments using kilometers for distance and meters for elevation, with corresponding equivalents in miles and feet also noted.

If you are accustomed to marking your goal splits in miles, try using the following websites to help you determine your goal splits at various kilometers:

https://www.depicus.com/swim-bike-run/pace-conversion-chart

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/4/4_1/96.shtml

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 COURSE

Km 1-5: Cruising Downhill Warm Up (miles 1-3)

Starting at 660m elevation (2,166’), the marathon begins at the entrance to the Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. This first 5K of the marathon loses 150m (487') of elevation, with minimal climbing over that opening segment. This is a very comfortable 3% downhill grade. These first 5K are some of the steepest downhills you will run on this course, and you will want to take advantage of gravity by letting yourself move comfortably fast. Be wary of a sensation of “running too fast” in this opening segment of the race. If you feel out of control, or if you feel yourself working “too hard” while running downhill, then slow down.

Km 6-18: Turn on the Speed (miles 4-11)

Starting at 5K, the course begins the next series of steady downhill miles. The elevation at 5K is 510m (1,679’ at mile 3). Over the next 13K (8 mi), the course loses another 194m (628’). This segment is not as sharp as the opening 5K, but still runs noticeably downhill with no significant elevation gain at all. Like the opening 5K, this section, with its 1.5% downhill grade, is where you will want to take advantage of gravity and “turn on the speed” at your goal pace, or slightly ahead of it. You will be adding to the “time cushion” that you began building in the first 5K, and by the time you reach 18K (11 miles) you can expect to be ahead of your goal pace split.

Km 19-26: Drop and Roll (miles 12-16)

Km 19 to 21 (roughly miles 12 and 13) have some of the sharpest elevation drops since the opening 5K, losing a total of 104m (351’). At this stage of the race, with most of the sharp descents behind you and the flatter segments ahead, you want to accelerate through the drops as you approach the rolling hills ahead. The “drop” of the segment is the last time you will see elevation loss greater than 3%. Take advantage of these downhill sections as you approach the second half of the race.

From 21K to 26K (about miles 14-16), the course loses a gradual 47m (160’) of elevation, which is a 1% downhill grade. You will notice the more gradual descent. As you roll along towards the end of this section, you should find it relatively easy to run right at your goal pace, if not slightly ahead of it to build a bit more cushion.

Km 27-36: Up and Down Slowdown (miles 17-22)

Starting around the 26K mark (mile 16), the course begins a series of noticeable drops and climbs, rolling through the thickly wooded area alongside the Chilliwack River. Overall, this 10K loses 103m (321’) of elevation, which is the same 1% downhill grade that you experienced in the prior “Drop and Roll” section. However, the climbs along the way, coupled with the much more gradual drops than what you encountered in the first half of the course, will slow you down. The key to this section is to maintain a steady pace that parallels the lower drop in elevation: lower drop means slower pace. You will notice a slowing of your pace, and you will sense that you cannot increase your pace without an increase in effort. This is due not only to the normal and expected fatigue at this point in a race, but also due to the lower amount of elevation loss per km/mile. Your objective in this section should be to hold onto your goal pace as much as possible.

Km 37-42.2: Steady Finish (miles 23-26.2)

This final section is a relatively steady downhill, with a few short little climbs at 38K (almost mile 24) as you approach the end of Chilliwack Lake Road. All totaled, this closing section loses 37m (137’) of elevation, making it the flattest section of the entire course at less than 1% elevation loss. With the added muscle fatigue from the earlier downhills, the flatter terrain at the end will almost certainly slow you down. However, that is expected and perfectly fine if you have managed your race and the “time cushion” up to this point!

Summary of the Marathon Course

The REVEL Chilliwack Marathon course loses 635m (2,084’) of elevation from start to finish. Over the steadily downhill course, you likely will surprise yourself with your "faster than normal" pace on the downhill segments. You will need to work hard to maintain pace on the flatter sections, and very late in the race plan to use the “time cushion” that you will build early. Although it is generally true that you never want to "go out too fast" in a marathon, remember that gravity is your friend and that you want to take advantage of the benefits of downhill running early in the race.

THE HALF-MARATHON COURSE

Km 1-5: Rolling Downhill Warm Up (miles 1-3)

Starting at 213m (700’) of elevation, the course drops 49m (160’) total from the start to the 5K mark (mile 3.1), which is a 1% downhill grade. As you roll along through this gradual descent, you should find it relatively easy to run right at your goal pace, if not slightly ahead of it to build a bit of a “time cushion.” What you want to do at this early stage of the race is take advantage of the downhills, take it easy on the uphills. At the same time, 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.

Km 6-15: Up and Down Slowdown (miles 4-9)

Starting around the 5K mark (mile 3.1), the course begins a series of noticeable drops and climbs, rolling through the thickly wooded area alongside the Chilliwack River. Overall, this 10K loses 102m (324’) of elevation, which is the same 1% downhill grade that you experienced in the prior “Rolling Downhill” section. However, the climbs along the way will slow you down. The key to this section is to maintain a steady pace that parallels the lower drop in elevation: lower drop means slower pace. You will notice a slowing of your pace, and you will sense that you cannot increase your pace without an increase in effort. This is due not only to the normal and expected fatigue at this point in a race, but also due to the lower amount of elevation loss per km/mile. Your objective in this section should be to hold onto your goal pace as much as possible.

Km 16-21.1: Steady Finish (miles 10-13.1)

This final section is a relatively steady downhill, with a few short little climbs at 17K (almost mile 11) as you approach the end of Chilliwack Lake Road. All totaled, this closing section loses 37m (134’) of elevation, making it the flattest section of the entire course at less than 1% elevation loss. With the added muscle fatigue from the earlier downhill sections, the flatter terrain at the end will almost certainly slow you down. However, that is expected and perfectly fine if you have managed your race and your “time cushion” up to this point!

Summary of the Half-Marathon Course

The REVEL Chilliwack Half-Marathon course loses 188m (618’) of elevation from start to finish, making this one of the fastest half-marathon courses you will ever run. Over the steadily downhill 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 22-time REVEL Marathon Finisher and has run multiple Boston Qualifiers on every REVEL course that he has run, with his current streak at 20 BQs in a row at REVEL marathons!

 

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