Preparing for a trail race when you live in the city is no easy feat. Athletes often worry about not getting enough elevation work, going round in circles or picking up injuries early. Yet the lack of natural terrain is no barrier. With a few fits, training for trail in the city is entirely achievable.
Key takeaways:
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Training for trail in the city is achievable with the right approach.
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You can recreate elevation gain using stairs, hills or city-trail.
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Strength training and proprioception are essential for proper preparation.
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Neglecting descents or your gear increases the risk of injury.
Why is it possible to train for trail in the city?
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need mountains on your doorstep to run your first trail. This discipline relies on several physical qualities that can be developed just as well in an urban environment.
The city offers several advantages for trail runners. In particular, it allows you to build a solid speed base. Speed work can be done on flat surfaces. Use roads, tracks or even riverbanks for your interval sessions, race-pace work or VO2max improvement.
The urban environment also offers plenty of opportunities to replicate some of the demands of trail. Stairs, bridges or hills are perfect for developing your explosive and muscular power as well as your cardiovascular fitness.
Finally, training for trail in the city makes it easier to stay consistent. You have immediate access to varied routes and avoid repeated trips to remote natural environments.
What tips can help you replicate trail conditions in the city?
Chasing elevation gain
The main concern for trail runners in the city is not being sufficiently prepared for elevation in races. Yet these demands are fairly easy to replicate. Stairs are perfect for building uphill power and mastering descents. Bridges and footbridges help train longer efforts. Hills, often short, are ideal for intervals.
City-Trail training
City-trail turns the city into a real playground. Create a loop by varying the surfaces (cobblestones, grass, gravel, tarmac) and urban features (pavements, stairs, benches). You will learn to run and walk in trail, develop your agility, your ability to accelerate, and your adaptability — just like on a real trail path.
Targeted strength training
To prepare the body to absorb the shocks of trail, strength training sessions are essential. In the city, general physical preparation (GPP) fits in easily. You can do walking lunges, squats, high knees or core work on a bench. To simulate muscular fatigue, we recommend building a GPP circuit between two running segments.
Proprioception
In trail, the terrain is unstable and your ankles need to be prepared. In an urban environment, the simplest approach is to use kerbs or low walls to work on balance. Also practise single-leg exercises with your eyes closed or on an uneven surface to improve your stability on race day.
Hill sessions
If there are no mountains in the city, hills or small inclines can quickly become an intensive training tool. You can design different sessions to work on explosiveness, power, cardio and threshold efforts. Don't forget eccentric work and active recovery on the descents.
What mistakes should you avoid?
To train effectively for trail in the city, there are a few mistakes to avoid. Running exclusively on tarmac, for convenience, is risky. You may get injured from the repeated impact and fail to prepare for varying terrain. In trail, constant adaptation is key and tarmac alone will not prepare you for real race conditions.
Many runners focus on the ascent and neglect the descent. Yet it is decisive. It trains the quadriceps in eccentric work. Without this, you risk serious muscle soreness, injury or loss of control.
Finally, some athletes forget to test their gear. While it may feel odd to run in your trail clothing, your trail backpacks, your trail shoes or your flasks in the city, this step is essential. If you don't test your equipment, you risk ill-fitting gear or chafing on race day.
Training for trail in the city is entirely possible, provided you adapt your training to the demands of the discipline. By planning suitable routes, working on elevation, speed and power, and testing your gear, you will be ready to tackle your race in the best possible conditions.
