Zwift Races & Training: The Courses & Climbs
For athletes venturing onto Zwift for the first time, the maze of group rides, workouts, races, and various courses can be overwhelming, and navigating through the many options while trying to stick to a structured plan can be very confusing. Many cyclists and triathletes come to Zwift as a way to break up the monotony of their coach-prescribed training plans and time on the trainer — the game giving their eyes something to do as they pedal through their intervals. While that is a great way to get your training done, what if we told you that Zwift races can make for the perfect substitute for a high-quality interval session?
Racing on Zwift is incredibly hard, mentally engaging, and most importantly, fun! The efforts required can help push you through training plateaus as you chase wheels up a climb or sprint for the win. The key is in the course terrain, and each course on Zwift has unique terrain which we believe can be used to address your desired training stress to meet the goals for your workout. We believe the 4 important training intensities required on Zwift’s climbs are: SST (Sweet Spot Training), Threshold, VO2max, and Anaerobic Capacity. See the bottom of this post for explanations on those intensities!
What we will aim to do in the rest of this article is show that Zwift races can and should be seen as a tremendous way to mix up your prescribed workouts!
For instance, are you a B racer and looking to do a VO2max workout for the day? Try finding a race on Watopia’s Hilly Forward course. The forward course features a steep climb which takes 1:50-2:10 to complete for the B category. Most races on this course are 4 laps, meaning you’ll get 4 effort at your VO2 max power during the race. The beauty of this format of training is the mental aspect — chasing wheels instead of staring at a countdown is incredibly motivating.
Are you a C-racer and looking to do a threshold workout? Try finding a race on London’s London Loop course. The Box Hill KOM featured on the course takes 8-10 minutes to complete for the C category. Most races on this course are 2 laps, meaning you’ll get 2 efforts at threshold power during the race. There’s no better motivator for sticking to your threshold power than following a competitors wheel up a climb — and there’s no better way to break through personal records by looking to drop that competitor after you come around them on the KOM!
Check out the following race courses to see how you can fit races into your structured training plan!
Watopia Hilly Forward:
This iconic course starts out by cutting to the chase! Only 1km into the race, you will face the circuit’s feature climb which is a great anaerobic to VO2max effort depending on your speed. The climb ranges in duration based on your ability as follows:
A Category: 1:30 - 1:50 (Anaerobic)
B-Category: 1:50 - 2:10 (Anerobic/VO2max)
C-Category: 2:05 - 2:20 (VO2max)
D-Category: 2:15 - 2:30 (VO2max)
Most races on this course are 2-4 laps, meaning you’ll get an effort at your anaerobic / VO2max power as many times as there are laps during the race! In between these efforts, you will be challenged to draft as efficiently as possible to ready yourself for the next effort, and surge unexpectedly. At 5.5 miles per lap, recovery between the climbs ranges from 10-15 minutes. These challenges will prepare you for the dynamic demands of racing! More info on course can be found here!
Volcano Climb:
This feature course was used in 2018 as the Zwift National Championship course. The course is mostly rolling terrain, with a feature climb: Watopia’s Volcano! The climb ranges in duration based on your ability as follows:
A-Category: 6:00 - 7:00 (VO2max)
B-Category: 7:00 - 8:00 (Threshold)
C-Category: 8:00 - 10:00 (Threshold)
D-Category: 10:00 - 12:30 (Threshold)
Races on this course are typically 1-2 laps, meaning you’ll get an effort at your VO2max / treshold power as many times as there are laps during the race. Depending on your position in the group, there is a brief recovery halfway through the climb — use this flat road to recover for the second half of the climb, or extend your breakaway by continuing your effort! The decent following the climb is a generous 3-4 minutes of pure recovery (unless you’re pushing the pace to hold off the riders you dropped!) At 14.2 miles per lap, you will have plenty of time to prepare for the climbing effort! More info on course can be found here!
Road to Sky (Alpe):
At just 10.6 miles long, this course sounds pretty easy! That is, until you see the course profile. The Road to Sky route features Zwift’s largest climb: the Alpe du Zwift. With an uninterrupted 1,040m of vertical ascent, this climb is not for the fainthearted! However, the climb does make for an incredibly productive workout. The climb ranges in duration based on your ability as follows:
A-Category: 35:00 - 48:00 (Threshold)
B-Category: 48:00 - 60:00 (Threshold/SST)
C-Category: 60:00 - 72:00 (Threshold/SST)
D-Category: 72:00 - 90:00 (SST)
The Alpe du Zwift is commonly raced as a one-lap race, beginning with a 3 mile descent from the Jungle pens to the Alpe’s start — conserve your energy and prepare for the climb. You can pick off your over-eager competitors when they blow up 30 minutes into the mountain! More info on course can be found here!
Innsbruckring:
A deceptively difficult course, the Innsbruckring circuit on Zwift’s Innsbruck world features a climb so difficult, it’s earned the nickname the “Leg Snapper” by Zwifters worldwide. At 5.5 miles in length, the course is a perfect circuit race featuring 3-4 laps, and thus 3-4 times over the Leg Snapper! The climb makes for the perfect opportunity to test your anaerobic capacity. Each trip up the climb will have you at a 7.5% gradient for 350 meters of tarmac, lasting in duration based on ability as follows:
A-Category: 0:40 - 0:45 (Anaerobic)
B-Category: 0:45 - 0:55 (Anaerobic)
C-Category: 0:55 - 1:05 (Anaerobic)
D-Category: 1:05 - 1:15 (Anaerobic)
The Leg Snapper leads into a substantial recovery with an immediate descent exceeding 35mph (the magic speed where you can “super-tuck” in-game). Take advantage of the reprieve and backpedal a few revolutions to recover fully! You’ll be surprised how quickly you’re back to the base of the climb on the next lap! More info on course can be found here!
Innsbruck Lutscher:
This course is one of the hardest on Zwift, but it will make you tough as nails! The race features Innsbruck’s feature KOM twice, finishing at the summit of the second ascent. At 15.1 miles in length with a leg-screaming 2,703-feet of vertical climb, the Innsbruck Lutscher course will have you either climbing or descending at all times. Each trip up the KOM gives the perfect opportunity to push threshold watts, and it ranges in duration based on ability as follows:
A-Category: 15:00 - 20:00 (Threshold)
B-Category: 20:00 - 25:00 (Threshold)
C-Category: 25:00 - 30:00 (Threshold)
D-Category: 30:00 - 35:00 (Threshold)
Sprinkled throughout the climb are very brief rests on false-flat sections of road through Innsbruck’s towns up the mountain, take these opportunities to increase speed and maintain your target wattage; a lot of time can be gained back on the KOM by pressing onward! More info on course can be found here!
Richmond UCI:
Perhaps one of the hardest sequences of efforts in-game, the Richmond UCI features 3 brutal-but-short climbs all within short succession, straining your anaerobic capacity while keeping your heart rate in VO2max range from the beginning of the first climb to the end of the third! The three climbs on Libby Hill, 23rd Street, and Governor Street vary in intensity and duration from, but make no mistake — getting over all three is a full-gas effort with very short recoveries! The triple climb effort from start to finish ranges in duration as follows:
A-Category: 5:45 - 6:30 (Anaerobic/VO2max)
B-Category: 6:30 - 7:15 (Anaerobic/VO2max)
C-Category: 7:15 - 8:00 (Anaerobic/VO2max)
D-Category: 8:00 - 9:00 (Anaerobic/VO2max)
The three climbs’ lengths and gradients are as follows: Libby Hill: 500m at 6.2% — 23rd Street: 200m at 10% — Governor Street: 1,100m at 4%. Push your limits, recover as best as you can between, and save some kick for the top of Governor Street, where you will sprint for the win, or hold onto your Peter Sagan-like breakaway for all the glory! More info on course can be found here!
Jungle Circuit:
As the game’s only dirt circuit, the Jungle Circuit is the only course in-game where you’ll actually go faster on a mountain bike than a road bike! The circuit is also one of the least flat courses in-game, spending half of the lap ascending, and the other half descending. The circuit’s feature climb is 1.6 miles at a steady 2.4% gradient — which on paved roads would be a breeze, but the dirt is very unforgiving! The effort ascending on the circuit’s climb ranges in duration by category as follows:
A-Category: 4:45 - 5:30 (VO2max)
B-Category: 5:30 - 6:15 (VO2max)
C-Category: 6:15 - 7:00 (VO2max / Threshold)
D-Category: 7:00 - 8:00 (Threshold)
Races on the Jungle Circuit are typically 2-4 laps, which means you’ll get that many repetitions at your VO2max or threshold power. Be careful on the dirt roads — with the increased rolling resistance, gaps will open much faster and are harder to close! Maintain contact with your competitors’ wheels and take advantage when you gap an unsuspecting racer! More info on course can be found here!
London Loop:
The London Loop course is known for it’s grueling climb: Box Hill. An iconic climb in the United Kingdom’s county of Surrey, Box Hill is a destination for both cyclists and tourists, boasting an incredible view from the top. The climb was raced in the 2012 Olympics, and is part of the Prudential Ride London festival of cycling. In-game, the climb was recreated meter-for-meter, including the signature painted design on the final straight of road! The climb ranges in duration by category as follows:
A-Category: 5:40 - 6:40 (VO2max)
B-Category: 6:30 - 8:00 (VO2max)
C-Category: 8:00 - 9:30 (Threshold)
D-Category: 9:30 - 11:30 (Threshold)
Races on the London Loop course are typically 1-2 laps, so make your effort on the climb count! At 1.8 miles in length with an average gradient of just 4.4%, the climb is gradual enough after the first half-mile to draft off of your competitors at a significant advantage. As you work at your VO2max or threshold power, watch out for small gaps, either in front or behind you — if you can gap your competitors, push harder, and aim for a PR and to breakaway! More info on course can be found here!
While there are many more courses in-game, this short guide serves as a way to re-frame how cyclists and triathletes view Zwift racing — not only are the events incredibly engaging and fun, they can be pivotal in your success on the bike, push you to personal records, and fuel your competitive drive at any time of day without leaving your home.
Stay tuned for our third and final part of our Zwift Races as Training series which will dive deeper into the physiological demands of the various courses!
Training Intensities Explained
Threshold: This refers to the maximum effort you can perform while still using your aerobic system as the primary energy source for prolonged durations. The intensity is generally at an effort you can perform for 45-90 minutes for one maximal sustained effort depending on your fitness level. Within a Zwift race, we ride many of the longer climbs of 10 or more minutes at Threshold power. a metric in cycling which you will see in-game is FTP (Functional Threshold Power), which falls in the Threshold range of 91-105% of your FTP).
SST (Sweet Spot Training): SST is an effort which is in the “grey” area of effort level when we think of polarized training. It is above your endurance pace, but below anaerobic threshold. This effort is best described as “moderately hard”, which is sustainable for 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your fitness level. It is extremely common to see your average power for a Zwift race fall within the Sweet Spot range (84-97% of FTP). Although, the average power of your Zwift race may fall within this range, it is not common to ride at this effort level for sustained periods in a race, unless you are pacing an effort on a long climb or a solo breakaway.
VO2max: This refers to the maximum volume of oxygen that an individual can use at maximum levels of intense aerobic exercise. Looking at this in cycling, it is normally maximum efforts from 2 to 8 minutes in duration. This type of intensity is performed during high power efforts which required maximal aerobic consumption, and these efforts are crucial in racing on Zwift, as many courses feature climbs lasting in the 2-8 minute range.
Anaerobic Capacity: This refers to the total amount of energy you can produce from the anaerobic (without oxygen) energy systems, meaning that these efforts are done over short durations lasting 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Anaerobic power is crucial in cycling and in racing on Zwift. Efforts of this intensity (120-150% of your Threshold power) completely define Zwift races. If you ride a course which has short and steep climbs taken at a high pace, or if you attack at the end of a race to get a gap on the peloton, you will be riding at or close to your anaerobic capacity!
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