To nail your UTMB® training plan, you need a structured schedule. Build it backwards from race day to steadily ramp up training load. The structure remains consistent whether you live in the mountains or need to train for the UTMB® on flat terrain.
Base building phase: first 3 months (November to January)
This base phase should remain focused, working on your VO2 max and lactate threshold. It must also incorporate core work and general strength conditioning to build robust, full-body durability. Integrate some strength training, swimming, and cycling to condition the entire kinetic chain. You can also begin introducing interval sessions to prepare for specific work ahead. Target 3 to 10 km winter prep races as intermediate milestones. Plan for a volume of around 6 to 8 hours of training per week during this period.
Specific build phase: second block (February to April)
After this initial 3-month block, start preparing for an initial milestone, preferably a hilly trail race, around April. This trail should ideally be 20 to 30 km long. Once completed, start scheduling long runs, progressively increasing difficulty and pacing.
These long runs should condition your body to the specific demands of the UTMB®. They are also the time to test yourself mentally and physically—niggles and fatigue included—and make necessary adjustments. Workouts during this phase remain focused on VO2 max and lactate threshold, alternating uphill and flat terrain. Keep up interval sessions at a rate of one per week. Towards the end of this block, you can start hill and elevation training. Weekly volume builds to roughly 8 to 12 hours.
Specific training phase (May to July)
This block should target a UTMB-style trail race in July—shorter in distance, but featuring night running. It is also the ideal rehearsal to test your gear, nutrition, and clothing to confirm everything works under race conditions.
From early May onwards, you can also plan one back-to-back training weekend per month, alongside a high-altitude training block ideally scheduled in June. This is the peak training phase, reaching up to 10 to 15 hours of training per week depending on your level and availability.
Stay disciplined during this block and do not overdo it. Avoid peaking too early; if your July preparation race feels tough, do not hit the panic button. Keep up long runs at wider intervals and maintain hill training sessions with vertical gain every two weeks over the last two months.
Taper phase: final three weeks (August)
This is the phase most runners get wrong, yet it directly dictates how fresh you arrive on the start line. The rule: cut volume drastically while preserving a touch of intensity, letting your body absorb months of training without losing sharpness.
- D-21 to D-15: final key long run, followed by the start of the taper. Volume reduced to around 70% of peak.
- D-14 to D-8: volume around 50%. Intervals should be infrequent and kept at lower intensity, purely to maintain leg turnover.
- D-7 to D-1: volume down to around 30%, short and easy runs, zero high-impact stress. You have nothing left to gain here, only fitness to lose.
Two key rules to remember: no workout in the final three weeks will make you fitter on race day, but one session too many can ruin your race. Feeling heavy legs or sluggish during the taper is completely normal and no indicator of race-day performance.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours per week should you train for the UTMB®?
Volume ramps up throughout preparation: roughly 6 to 8 hours weekly during base building, 8 to 12 hours in the specific phase, peaking at 10 to 15 hours, followed by a clear taper over the final three weeks.
How many months does an UTMB® training plan take?
Around ten months, from November to the race in late August, split into four phases: base building, specific training, peak training block, and a final 3-week taper.
Should you keep doing intervals all the way up to race day?
No. High intensity peaks mid-plan and then scales back. In the final three weeks, interval sessions should be infrequent and performed at reduced intensity.
Find out more
- Training for the UTMB®
- Training for the UTMB® on flat terrain
- Long runs
- Interval training for the UTMB®
Photo credits: Clément Dumas, Delphine Daniélou.
