Finishing an ultra-trail takes specific preparation. Runners may have to cover more than 100 km across natural terrain with significant elevation gain. To give yourself the best chance of reaching the finish line, you need to take that preparation seriously. Here is what you need to know.
Key takeaways:
- Before taking on an ultra-trail, you need a solid running foundation and experience on technical terrain.
- Planning progressive training with varied sessions helps prepare your body for the effort ahead.
- Cross-training alongside running sessions helps protect your joints and avoid overtraining.
- Quality sleep, suitable nutrition and good hydration are the foundations of recovery.
- Before the race, it is essential to test your kit in real conditions to avoid any nasty surprises.
What you need before training for an ultra-trail
Before taking on an ultra-trail, make sure you have the skills to meet the challenge. You need muscular and cardiovascular endurance, the ability to handle technical trails, climbs and descents, and plenty of mental resilience.
Above all, we recommend building a solid running foundation and getting used to running tens of kilometres. Depending on the distance of your ultra-trail, you should have completed shorter trails or marathons before taking on a more demanding race.
Preparing for an ultra-trail calls for a gradual approach. As well as having prior experience, you need to follow a training plan suited to your goal. Gradually increase the duration and volume of your outings each week to get your body used to the effort. This helps reduce the risk of training-related injury or fatigue.
Ultimately, good organisation is essential to preparing well. You need to set aside plenty of hours each week for training, choose your sessions carefully and study the terrain so you can replicate race conditions.
Building an effective training plan
General preparation for an ultra-trail takes approximately 4 to 8 months, depending on your experience and target distance. For more demanding races, such as the world's toughest ultra-trail, you may need several years of experience before entering.
For race-specific preparation, most training plans run for 6 to 12 weeks. One common rule of thumb is to aim for a weekly training volume, in hours, close to your estimated race time. It offers a useful ballpark figure for shorter races, but becomes unrealistic over longer distances: nobody trains thirty hours a week for a 100-mile race.
In practice, most recreational runners who finish a 100 km ultra train for 8 to 12 hours a week during their heaviest training blocks. That works out at roughly 60 to 90 km, depending on the elevation gain. In trail running, it makes more sense to measure training in hours than kilometres: a 15 km run with 1,200 m of elevation gain takes far more out of you than a runnable 25 km route. Consistency over several months, not a single big week, makes the difference on race day.
Training volume should increase gradually. Make sure you take rest days and avoid overtraining, which could lead to injury.
Good preparation involves a variety of sessions. These can include:
- Maximal aerobic speed (MAS) sessions: to develop aerobic power and raise the ceiling that underpins endurance.
- Uphill and downhill sessions: to get used to elevation changes and work on your running technique.
- Easy aerobic runs (1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes at low intensity): to get your body used to sustained effort.
- Hike-run sessions (4 to 5 hours): to simulate race conditions and prolonged effort.
The benefits of cross-training
During ultra-trail training, your body faces repeated impacts, particularly at the knees, ankles and hips. Cross-training is an effective way to reduce the impact on your joints while maintaining a good level of effort. Certain sports can help prevent injury, strengthen your body and reduce the risk of overtraining.
Several endurance sports work well for cross-training. You can start with targeted exercises to strengthen your legs and back or improve your stability, such as squats, lunges, core exercises and pull-ups.
Cycling helps build endurance without putting too much stress on your joints. Swimming provides cardiovascular exercise and active recovery. Finally, hiking is ideal for strengthening your legs, preparing your feet for an ultra-trail and testing your endurance on varied terrain.
Cross-training has a place throughout your ultra-trail preparation. It is particularly useful early on to prepare your body for training. Later, it can help offset reductions in running volume. During the race-specific phase, you can use it to complement your running once or twice a week.
Making the most of recovery during training
Recovery is a fundamental part of an ultra-trail training plan. Make room for weeks of active recovery in your schedule. Gentle stretching, yoga, a massage or a cold bath can help ease feelings of muscle soreness.
One caveat on that last point: cold therapy does relieve soreness in the short term, but several studies show that using it after every session as a matter of routine may limit some of the adaptations you are training for, particularly gains in muscle strength. Save it for heavy training blocks, closely spaced sessions and post-race recovery rather than making it a routine.
Make sleep a priority throughout your training. Rest gives your body time to recover after exercise. In the final weeks, you should also reduce training intensity to prioritise recovery.
Nutrition and hydration are also important parts of recovery. Aim to eat a healthy, balanced diet day to day. After each training session, prioritise meals rich in protein and carbohydrates: these support muscle fibre repair and the replenishment of glycogen stores.
Remember to drink regularly during and after training. You lose a significant amount of water and salts through sweat during exercise. Rehydrating replaces those losses: water does not rebuild muscle, but without it your body cannot recover properly.
Essential kit for an ultra-trail
When preparing for an ultra-trail, do not overlook your kit. Choose clothing and trail running shoes suited to the terrain and weather well in advance. Be sure to test all your gear before race day. Wear it over a weekend or on several outings to check that you are comfortable and get ready for real race conditions.
Alongside technical, breathable clothing, remember to take a hydration pack or vest. It should carry extra layers, such as waterproof trail jackets, to protect you from the elements. You should also pack a head torch, emergency blanket, whistle, first-aid kit, GPS watch and a cap or beanie.
Finally, trail running poles are extremely useful when preparing for a race. They help reduce fatigue on climbs and protect your joints on descents. They also improve stability on technical terrain and help you manage your pace.
Preparing for an ultra-trail is demanding and takes discipline and patience. Regular runs alone are not enough. You also need structured training, effective recovery and the right kit. Follow these tips and you should be well placed to prepare for your next challenge.
Find out more
- A detailed week-by-week training plan
- Long runs
- Back-to-back training weekend
- Training when you live in a flat area
Photo credit: Clément Dumas.
