Who is this plan for?

This plan is specifically designed for 'intermediate' level athletes training for an off-road race or event of approximately 50km, and up to 1200m or 6000ft of elevation.

We'd expect these athletes to have already been completing 5-7 hours of running per week, and to already be comfortable with running for around 2-hours at a low intensity (i.e. a social/conversational pace). 

What does this plan do?




This plan seeks to build the key aspects of fitness that are imporant for shorter ultra-distance trail events. These include:



1. Improved muscular strength.


2. Improved resistance to fatigue.


3. Improved fat oxidation and 'first lactate/ventilatory threshold', which are key determinants of performance in ultra-distance events. For more on these see here. 


4. Opportunities to practice off-road technique, including descending skills and race nutrition. 

Note this is a 12-week program, but the plan itself is 13 weeks, because we include two options for the taper, depending on whether you race on Saturday or Sunday.

Plan Key Features




We believe our plans stand our from the crowd. We’ve done our very best to provide an experience that’s as close as possible to having on-hand coach support, with ample guidance on how to get the most out of our plans, and clear information on what we’re trying to achieve both session-by-session and week-by-week to keep you motivated. Our plans are grounded in science and supported by over a decade of full-time coaching experience. Key features include:





• Two taper options for the final weeks, each geared towards a Saturday or Sunday race. 


• A comprehensive PDF user guide to help you individualise your plan, and make adjustments as needed to suit your unique physiology and circumstances. 


• Each workout’s purpose and key adaptations clearly communicated, including references to scientific papers where relevant.


• Guidance on how to integrate club runs within your plan.


• Weekly notes explaining how training progresses from week-to-week.


• Structured sessions, meaning all sessions can be automatically exported to your Garmin or other running watch. 


• Home-based strength training, which can be upgraded to gym-based program for free. 


• Sessions that are directly geared towards trail, fell and mountain runners, with close appreciation of the unique skills and fitness required for these disciplines.