Ultrarunning
How to go from running park runs to a 100-mile ultra
Any park runner can race a 100-mile (160km) ultra if they put their mind to it. Tom Evans explains how to make the step up to running such a distance.
If you dream of taking on a long-distance ultra every time you lace up your running shoes, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t give it a try.
Tom Evans has competed at the highest level in some of the world’s top ultrarunning events. His tick list includes Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), Western States and Marathon Des Sables, and he believes any runner can take on an ultra if they put their mind to it.
Ultrarunning star Tom Evans
© Ian Corless/Red Bull Content Pool
“The first step is mentally deciding to do it,” Evans explains. “Once you get what it means to be out on your feet for so long, it’s achievable. You can’t go from 5km to 100-miler in 12 weeks, but people do over-complicate it.”
As an elite runner, Evans himself has very specific training schedules, but he believes the average competitor should “keep things simple.” These are the steps he’d recommend.
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Step 1: From park runner to cross-country
Move from flat parkland to more challenging terrain
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If you’re regularly doing 45-minute runs, four to five miles (6-8km) on roads or park trails, Evans says the best first step towards an ultra is to join a club and do a cross-country race.
“They’re really enjoyable, quite competitive and in an entirely different environment from park running or road running,” he explains. “They’re usually muddy and hilly so they’re a great way to find out your level.
“They’re easy to train for, too. Just find some grass you can run hard on and do six 1km runs at your planned race pace. Throw in some hill reps and if you regularly run 5km, you could be ready for one in four to six weeks.”
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Step 2: From cross-country to 50km ultra
Try a marathon on flat terrain next, suggests Tom Evans
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Evans suggests going back to the flat and running a marathon next, to get your body used to the training regime required for a 50km ultra distance – even though that’s not what he did.
“I actually did a 100km before I did my first marathon,” he admits. “But a road marathon helps build stamina for longer distances. It also helps you start to get used to the concept of planned training blocks.”
Train progressively so you don’t burn out
“Often, once people decide to go for an ultra, they’re so keen they just want to get out and smash loads of miles on the trails. It doesn’t work like that. Doing too much too soon can really mess you up.
“You need to take a progressive approach to training and, in general, I’d recommend two 12-week blocks, with a minimum 10-day taper. You need to go long, but start with five to six miles [8-10km] in the first weeks and build up."
Build your training progressively
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“At the end of the first block, do a race that’s either half or two thirds of the distance of your target race. It’s a great way to see where you are, and it keeps you focused and interested.
“I’d recommend doing another run of the same length in training, probably four or five weeks before the target race – but for a mid-packer I’d suggest doing something more like half distance.”
Build your strength to tackle the trails
Add weights and cross training for all-body condition, suggests Evans
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“To run long distances on trails, you need to be strong and robust because there’s rocks and stones and you’re twisting about. Building ankle strength and mobility in the gym at an early stage will pay dividends later on.”
To run long distances on trails, you need to be strong and robust
Take a different approach to the way you feed
“Nutrition for an ultra is very different to a marathon. It’s a longer time, but you’ll be working at a lower intensity, so your entire energy system is going to behave differently. You need to prepare for that.”
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Step 3: From 50km to 100-miler
Once you’ve run a 50km ultra, training for longer events becomes more about race specificity – and that involves focusing more on time than distance.
“There are huge differences between races of the same distance because of the terrain and conditions,” says Evans, pointing out that the winning times for the Western States and the UTMB differ by a massive five hours.
Evans had to compete in 30°C heat at the Western States 100
© Gary Wang
Train for the course
“Stick to the two 12-week block schedule but look at the course you’re going to race on, take a ratio of distance to metres climbed and replicate that on some of your training runs to make things more specific.
“A fast 100-miler, like Western States for example, is generally net downhill and very runnable. For that, you need to focus on pace. Train with longish, relatively fast runs. It’s a bit like marathon training but longer.
“In a more hilly 100-miler, like UTMB, you'll spend a lot more time on your feet to do the same distance. Training is about slowing it down, ideally running in mountains so you do the same miles but take longer.
“About 95 percent of people use poles on UTMB, but there’s no point having them if you don’t know how to use them. You need to practise with them to understand how useful they can be.”
Get conditioned in the gym
“The mechanics of how you run in the first hour of a race will be very different to the last. If your economy and fitness goes, you could get injured and not finish. To avoid that, you can condition your body in a gym."
Tom Evans stretching after a gym workout
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“For uphills, focus on glutes and hamstrings. Glute bridges, single-leg hip thrusts and single-leg dead lifts all help, but a high box step-up is best as it really replicates what you will be doing. Do four sets of six on each leg.
“Downhills need strong ankles and good quad and hip flex. For that, do balance drills, core exercises and walking lunges with weights or wall holds. They all help keep you running downhill when you’re absolutely knackered.
“I also find an inclined treadmill is useful to get really specific. I almost look at the climbs in the race and programme the treadmill to train for them. It’s a good tool, but the best training is still to get into the hills.”
Indoor training on an inclined treadmill can be really beneficial
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Train your body for the conditions
“One of the biggest challenges when taking on different races is preparing for the conditions you will face. It’s vital to get your body used to it – but it can easily be done in just a couple of weeks.
One of the biggest challenges when taking on different races is preparing for the conditions you will face
“For a hot race, sitting in a sauna isn’t enough, you need to raise your core body temperature while exercising. Go to a heat chamber if you can, or turn the radiators up high. Also, try out hydration tablets to see what works.”
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Get on the trails at night
“If you’re racing for 25 to 35 hours non-stop, you’ll be running through the night. Get to grips with the head torch and make sure you can operate it and run with it.”
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Step 4: From 100-miler to multi-day stage race
Once you’ve hit 100 miles, you should be able to achieve a decent finish in a multi-stage race like the Marathon des Sables. Doing so, however, is as much about preparation as physical training.
“You need to be methodical with your planning,” says Evans. “Do a SWOT analysis on the race to see where you could trip up. Typically that’s the areas you can’t control – like heat, humidity, food and water.”
Train, train and train some more
When it comes to increasing distance, more time spent out running is key
© Ian Corless/Red Bull Content Pool
“A long multi-stage race is all about effort, recovery and pacing yourself. That doesn’t mean going off the watch, but more realising it’s a six-day race so you need to be super robust.
“You train by doing lots of back-to-back long runs, which can be hard. If you have a normal nine-to-five job, it’s about maintenance training in the week and doing longer slow, low-intensity runs on a Saturday and Sunday.”
“You’ll be running with a pack, so train with one but not on every run because it’s tough on your body. A lot of that weight is food, so work out how to pack light but still have the calories and nutrients you need.”
Learn how to starve and dehydrate, but also how to eat
“To a certain extent, it’s good to starve and dehydrate yourself in training to get your body used to it – but not to an extreme level. There are some things you just have to handle in the race itself.
“Make sure you like the meals you will have, though. If you’ve got a family, buy enough freeze-dried meals for you all to eat for one night a week for a month, so everyone can try it. If you don’t like it, it’s going to be miserable.”
Prepare for the mental challenge
“Ultimately, these races are 99 percent psychological and the reason people finish is down to mental strength, not physical ability. You can do the best training in the world, but to get to the end you need mental focus.”