Guide · pacing

# How to pace a brevet or ultra

Almost nobody paces an ultra too slowly. The usual mistake is riding the first 100 km like a club run, then paying for it all night. A number on the stem is the simplest fix.

Last reviewed 28 October 2026

## Start with a target, not a feeling

Perceived effort is a poor guide early in a long event. You are fresh, rested and excited, so a pace you could hold for three hours feels like one you could hold for thirty. Set a power target before the start and ride to it from the first kilometre.

| Event | Typical average power | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 200 to 300 km brevet | About 70% of FTP | 8 to 14 hours for most riders. |
| 400 to 600 km brevet | About 68% of FTP | Includes a night; sleep is optional and short. |
| 1200 km randonnée | About 66% of FTP | Paris-Brest-Paris, London-Edinburgh-London. |
| Multi-day races | About 62% of FTP | Transcontinental, Tour Divide; days blur together. |

Take a couple of points off for very hilly courses, and more if your durability is still developing. These are the same figures MeepMeep uses for race-pace sessions in its event plans. They are a starting point: your own long training rides tell you more.

## Pace the climbs

Climbs are where the damage is done. Going 30% over race pace on a 20-minute climb feels easy at hour two and costs you at hour twenty, because those efforts burn glycogen you cannot replace while riding and add fatigue that never quite goes away.

- Allow a little more on climbs than on the flat, roughly 10 to 15% above race pace, and less as the climbs get longer.
- Shift early and keep cadence comfortable instead of standing and grinding.
- Let riders go on the climbs. You will often see them again at the next control.

The free [race day card](https://meepmeep.cc/tools/race-card/) works this out from your course GPX: a power ceiling for each climb, plus what to eat between controls, on a strip for the top tube.

## Headwinds, groups and the night

- **Headwinds:** hold power, not speed. A headwind section at race pace is slow but costs no more than any other hour.
- **Groups:** riding with others saves a lot of energy, but only if the group rides near your pace. Sitting on a fast group for an hour can cost more than the draft saves.
- **The night:** power tends to drop on its own at night, along with mood and concentration. Expect it, keep eating, and do not try to make up time when the sun comes up.

## Time off the bike counts too

On a 600 km brevet, the gap between a 30-hour and a 36-hour finish is often spent standing still: long control stops, queues, searching for food, fixing things that could have been fixed at home. Riding a little slower and stopping less usually beats riding hard and resting longer.

Plan your controls before the event, know what you will do at each one, and keep a rough budget for time off the bike.

## Rehearse it in training

Pacing is a skill. Ride your long training sessions at your event target, with the same fueling, so the number feels normal by event day. Check your heart rate in the last hour against the first: if it climbs a lot at the same power, the target is probably too high for now.

MeepMeep's race-pace workouts hold your target in ERG mode for hours, and its [event plans](https://meepmeep.cc/plans/) set the pace from your event's distance and climbing.

## Questions

**What percentage of FTP should I ride a 200 km brevet at?**

Around 70% of FTP is a sensible starting point for a 200 km brevet, a little lower on a very hilly course. Allow somewhat more on climbs, but keep a ceiling so you are not spending matches early.

**Should I pace an ultra by heart rate or power?**

Power is the better pacing target because it responds immediately and is not affected by heat, caffeine or excitement. Heart rate is useful as a check: if it drifts up a lot at the same power late in the ride, ease off.

**Is it better to ride fast and sleep longer on a 600 km brevet?**

For most riders, no. Riding steadily and keeping stops short tends to give a faster and more comfortable finish than riding hard and resting longer.

## Workouts for this

- [**Race Pace Rehearsal** 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 min Sweet spot · 2 h 30 min](https://meepmeep.cc/workouts/race-pace-rehearsal/)
- [**Extended Race Pace** Steady endurance, short rises · 4 h](https://meepmeep.cc/workouts/extended-race-pace/)
- [**Ultra Pace Day** Steady endurance, short rises · 5 h](https://meepmeep.cc/workouts/ultra-pace-day/)
- [**Mountain Pass Simulation** 4 × 20 min Tempo · 2 h 12 min](https://meepmeep.cc/workouts/mountain-pass-simulation/)
- [**Alpine Day Simulation** 6 × 25 min Tempo · 3 h 38 min](https://meepmeep.cc/workouts/alpine-day-simulation/)

## More guides

- [**Cycling durability**](https://meepmeep.cc/guides/cycling-durability/)
- [**Carbs per hour on long rides**](https://meepmeep.cc/guides/carbs-per-hour-cycling/)
- [**Saddle comfort on long rides**](https://meepmeep.cc/guides/saddle-comfort-long-rides/)
- [**Zone 2 and the aerobic base**](https://meepmeep.cc/guides/zone-2-training-ultra-cycling/)
- [**Long indoor rides**](https://meepmeep.cc/guides/long-indoor-rides/)
- [**Tapering for an ultra**](https://meepmeep.cc/guides/tapering-for-an-ultra/)
- [**Training plans by event**](https://meepmeep.cc/plans/)

## Practise your event pace.

Ride race-pace sessions at your target in ERG mode, then take a pacing and fueling card to the start line.

[Make a race day card](https://meepmeep.cc/tools/race-card/)

Source: https://meepmeep.cc/guides/pacing-a-brevet/