Depending on whether you live in rolling hills or flat country, your training for the UTMB® won't take place under the same conditions. For those living in flat areas, several solutions exist to fine-tune your preparation.
Compensating for the lack of elevation gain
Without hills nearby, two solutions allow you to simulate elevation training: stair workouts, widely accessible in urban areas, and the incline treadmill in the gym, which lets you match gradients close to the UTMB®. Find full details on these sessions in our dedicated article: stair training.
The flatland runner's true blind spot: downhills
This is the most overlooked factor—and the most costly on race day. Stairs and incline treadmills prepare you well for the climb, but not at all for the descent. Yet on the UTMB®, it is the 9,900 metres of negative elevation gain that wreck your quads and trigger most late dropouts.
A flatland runner who only trains the uphills will reach the mountains with ready cardio but unprepared legs. Three workarounds, ranked by effectiveness:
- Repeat descents on the longest hill available, even if modest. Running a 30-metre bank twenty times beats doing nothing.
- Targeted eccentric strength work: slow controlled eccentric squats, lunges, step-downs. It is the best gym-based alternative available.
- Mountain weekends, which remain the only truly comprehensive solution.
Building strength and technique
The lack of everyday rugged terrain can also be offset by targeted strength training—especially targeting quads and calves heavily loaded on descents—and by running on technical trails with roots and uneven ground, rather than tarmac or gravel paths. Even without significant elevation, this terrain hones proprioception and foot placement, two crucial assets on the Mont-White trails.
Running shock weekends
The most effective solution remains taking short trips to the mountains for intensive training blocks. These short getaways, known as shock weekends, have become essential for ultra prep like the UTMB®: they allow you to train on genuine rugged terrain and expose body and mind to long, demanding efforts close to race-day conditions.
For a flatland runner, they are not an optional bonus but a mandatory step: plan for two to three during your training block. Find our complete guide in our dedicated article: running a mountain shock weekend.
Frequently asked questions
Can you train for the UTMB® while living in flatlands?
Yes, many finishers do. However, it requires actively compensating for the lack of vert, and above all, never neglecting downhill work, which neither stairs nor incline treadmills can replicate.
Is an incline treadmill enough?
For climbing, it is a solid tool. For descending, no: most treadmills do not decline, failing to replicate the eccentric load that destroys legs on the UTMB®.
How many mountain weekends should you plan?
Two to three within the four months leading up to the race, spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart, and never in the final three weeks.
Read more
- Running a mountain shock weekend
- Stair training
- Improving your downhill trail running
- Training plan to conquer your UTMB®
Photo credits: Clément Dumas, Delphine Daniélou.
