Blue Hiills Classic Beta

For those who are contesting Blue Hills this weekend, I thought I would put together some info on the course for everyone. I head down there to train at least once a week, and did some loops yesterday with an eye for detail.

First and foremost – coming out of the start, heading west on Hillside, there is often a headwind here. Hopefully that won’t be the case on Sunday, but look for it. After rolling onto 138, then bearing right onto Canton Ave, stay to the LEFT of the road. The entire right lane is a disaster of potholes and cracks, and it could be a rough ride if you get stuck over there. In fact, it’s wise to avoid the right side of the road on both the descents (Canton Ave) and ascents (Unquity) of the course. Canton Ave has some holes, cracks, and general detritus on the right side, and Unquity has a section about halfway up where the shoulder narrows considerably and the pavement literally falls right off into a rocky ditch. It would be a very rough place to land. The bottom of the course, which is the hard turn onto Unquity from Canton Ave, will be tough if you are not in the front, but it should not be a real factor in the race.

The primary factor in this race is the climb up Unquity. The finish is just before it reaches the top where it reconnects with Hillside. Note that the grade of the road is not generally tough, but it gradually increases and gets fairly difficult nearer to the finish . Unquity bears right at the split with Harland, and there are a couple of short, steeper sections before the finish. For a pack finish, a good launching point would be after you go through the first gentle left after Harland, there will be one more gentle left curve and the finish is at the top of this last section.

I predict that there will be more than a few people who attack hard near the bottom of Unquity only to get swept up closer to the top. The name of the game for this race is patience – meter your efforts and save it for when it matters. A break could get away on this course, but it did not happen in the 4’s last year. There just isn’t a tough enough section in this race to make a selection, unless someone is feeling particularly strong.

-J