A course strategy – and overall race strategy – is necessary for optimal performance on race day. Whether this is your first REVEL White Mountains 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, has prepared a detailed description of the 2024 White Mountains 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.

The White Mountains Marathon course can be divided into five sections:
Miles 1-5: Fast Start
Miles 6-9: Noticeable Slowdown
Miles 10-15: Out and Back 10K
Miles 16-20: Gradual Downhill
Miles 21-F: Rolling 10K
The White Mountains Half-Marathon course can be divided into three similar sections:
Miles 1-2: Flat, Easy Warm-Up
Miles 3-7: Steady Downhill
Miles 8-F: Rolling 10K

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 lies 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 1-5: Fast Start

Starting at 2,818’ of elevation, the start of the marathon is at the CL Graham Wangan Overlook on the Kancamagus Highway. This opening 5-mile segment, which is almost entirely downhill, will be the fastest of the day, but take your time getting into a steady, efficient, and fast downhill pace. After you warm up for the first half-mile or so, you will gradually build to your goal race pace and faster. Overall, you will lose more than 1,400’ of elevation up to mile 5. Manage the notable drops by easing into your pace, settling in for the long haul, and letting gravity pull you along at a comfortably fast pace.

Miles 6-9: Noticeable Slowdown

Just before the 5-mile mark, you will notice that the marked elevation loss in the opening segment quickly comes to an end. Overall, the next 4-mile segment from mile 5 to mile 9 loses only 160’ of elevation. The elevation loss per mile drops significantly, and it is expected that you will run slower here. Also, there are some minor climbs in this section. Overall, you should still be able to sustain your goal pace per mile through these 4 miles, but you will need to be patient and accept the relatively slower paces.

Miles 10-15: Out and Back 10K

After you pass mile 9, the course flattens noticeably. Around mile 9.6, you will turn left onto Bear Notch Road and begin the 4-mile out-and-back that will slow you down markedly (2 miles out, 2 miles back). The “out” part of this section climbs 234’ over roughly 2 miles, which is a grade of 2.2%. It is a gradual, steady climb all the way to the turnaround at mile 11.6. After the turnaround, the course maintains a flat profile for about a half mile before you start to descend the 234’ towards the start of the out-and-back. When you get back onto the Kancamagus Highway, you will be at mile 13.5. The next 1.5 miles, up
to the mile 15 marker, is essentially flat.

Miles 16-20: Gradual Downhill

After mile 15, the course begins to descend gradually again, with an overall downhill grade of 1.4. After the challenging climb on the out-and-back, the total elevation loss of 378’ in miles 16-20 will be comfortable on fatigued legs. You can expect to run your goal pace throughout, with occasional accelerations on the more downhill segments.

Miles 21-F: Rolling 10K

The final 10k loses a total of almost 400’ for an average 1.2% downhill grade. As the name of this section implies, it is a rolling downhill. Although none of the few climbs are more than about 10’, the late-race fatigue that typically sets in at this point of a marathon will make those short climbs more challenging, and the flatter terrain will feel like climbing even when it is slightly downhill or flat.

Summary of the Marathon Course
The REVEL White Mountains Marathon course loses more than 2,350’ of elevation from start to finish. Over the 26.2-mile course, you likely will surprise yourself with your "faster than normal" pace on the downhill segments. Although it is true that you never want to "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. It makes sense to run as fast as you can comfortably run on the downhills, build yourself a "cushion" of time to account for the elevation gains on the course, and start the race with an expectation that you will (1) be ahead of schedule for the opening miles, (2) slow down on the climbs and flatter portions of the out-and-back, (3) rebuild a slight time cushion in miles 16-20, and (4) use the time-cushion in the rolling downhill final 10K.

THE HALF-MARATHON COURSE

Miles 1-2: Flat, Easy Warm-Up

Starting at over 1,200’ of elevation, the course is essentially flat for the first two miles. There are a couple of short, steep climbs in the first half-mile of the race, but overall the opening mile loses 6’ of elevation. The second mile is a long, gradual climb. You will gain 12’ over this mile, but there are no steep hills like the short ones you encountered in the first mile. This opening segment should be your warm up for the day, so you want to keep your running relaxed and right at your goal pace effort.

Miles 3-7: Steady Downhill

Just past mile 2, the course begins to descend noticeably for the first time. Miles 3-7 lose a total of 385’, which is a comfortable -1.5% grade. This is where you should be able to build a small “cushion” for the closing miles of the race. You won’t see remarkably fast splits each mile, but generally, you should find it relatively easy to run slightly faster than your goal pace for most of this segment. 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 lower your level of effort. But be mindful that it is expected for you to be ahead of goal pace during this downhill segment of the race.

Miles 8-F: Rolling 10K

The final 6.1 miles (technically not quite 10K, but close) of the course continues the gradual downhill to the finish, losing 390’ overall. As the name of this section implies, it is a rolling downhill. Although none of the few climbs are more than about 10’, you can expect your pace to slow a bit in this segment. Don’t “push” yourself to try matching the faster paces that you held in the more downhill miles earlier in the race. If anything, you should just try to hit your overall goal pace, if not slightly slower.

Summary of the Half-Marathon Course

The REVEL White Mountains Half-Marathon course loses more than 760' of elevation from start to
finish. That's an average of almost 60' per mile over the 13.1-mile course, and you will surprise yourself with your "faster than norma" pace on the downhill segments. Your varied paces will be dictated by the elevation losses and gains, and you want to run as fast as you can comfortably run on the downhills to build yourself a "cushion" of time to account for the elevation gains on the course.

Paul Carmona is the Online REVEL Coach who has designed training plans specifically for REVEL downhill courses. He is a 31-time REVEL marathon finisher and has run multiple Boston Qualifiers on every REVEL course. His streak stands at 24 successful BQ efforts in a row at REVEL marathons.