Trail racing over 25K (15.5 miles) is becoming increasingly popular - especially in the US and Canada. As with all trail races though, expect for there to be some vert, and for the precise race distance to be a little over or under the 25K mark!
We've teamed up with US-based athlete and coach, Cory Keehn, to provide two 6-week training plans for tackling a 25K. One plan is aimed at beginners, and the other at more experienced athletes looking to improve. Both plans can be downloaded as PDFs.
At the end of this guide Cory gives his top tips for racing sub-ultra distances (any trail race up to and including the marathon distance), as well as his favourite races on the (B)East Coast of America.
BEFORE YOU START
Before you start any training plan, particularly if running is unfamiliar to you, it's important you get yourself checked out by a doctor.
Remember too that sudden changes in mileage, or the amount of speedwork/climbing you're doing could lead to injury. Gradually increase all three until you are able to start at week one, or modify the plan to fit your current training load.
There are two plans to choose from:
- Beginners - this is for people who have been running 5 years or less. This is perhaps your first 25K race and your primary objective is to complete the distance.
- Intermediate - this is for you if you've been running over 5 years. You may well have raced over 25K before and you're looking to improve your time or position from a previous event.
However, it's worth reading through both plans to see which is the better match for your current level of fitness. If you've been running less than 5 years but are at the competitive end of the field for instance, you might want to select the Intermediate plan. Equally, if you're an experienced runner returning from injury, managing lower mileage, you might want to select the Beginner's plan.
Whichever plan you choose, we hope you enjoy the plans… and the race!
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BEGINNER'S 25K TRAINING PLAN
| Day | Training Plan | Coach Cory Says: |
| Week 1 |
| Mon | Rest or walk | Rest days are pivotal to your long-term development. It gives your body time to adapt to the work you did that week and gives you a mental break from training. Mental and physical health will lead to better performances and a more fulfilling life! |
| Tues | Easy day 3-4 miles, 4x20 second hill strides | Hill strides teach you to lean slightly forward, take quick short steps, and land underneath your hips. Gradually build up to top speed. |
| Wed | Workout 10-15 minute warm up run, 3/2/1 minute hills (10k effort progressing to 5k effort) with a jog down recovery, 10-15 minute cool down run | Try to gradually get faster each rep. Focus on effort not pace. As trail runners, you need to learn to listen to your body's limits so you can run a smart race that plays into your strengths. |
| Thurs | Easy day 3-4 miles | Easy days should be done at a conversation pace! It will not benefit you to run fast on your easy days. Consistency will always beat intensity! |
| Fri | Easy day 3-4 miles or 45-60 minutes of aerobic cross training (bike, elliptical, hike, or swim) | If you are feeling beat down, take a cross training day! |
| Sat | Long run 6-8 miles | Try to find a route that is similar to the terrain and vert you will run on race day. |
| Sun | Easy day 3-4 miles, 4x20 second hill strides | Celebrate even the smallest victories from that week of training! |
| Day | Training Plan | Coach Cory Says: |
| Week 2 |
| Mon | Rest or walk | |
| Tues | Easy day 3-4 miles, 4x20 second hill strides | |
| Wed | Workout 10-15 minute warm up run, 3x2 minute hills (10k effort progressing to 5k effort) with jog down recovery, 15-20minute cool down | |
| Thurs | Easy day 3-4 miles | |
| Fri | Easy day 3-4 miles or 45-60 minutes of aerobic cross training (bike, elliptical, hike, or swim) | |
| Sat | Long run 8-10 miles | |
| Sun | Easy day 3-4 miles, 4x20 second hill strides |
| Day | Training Plan | Coach Cory Says: |
| Week 3 |
| Mon | Rest or walk | |
| Tues | Easy day 3-4 miles, 4x20 second hill strides | |
| Wed | Workout 10-15 minute warm up run, 6x1 minute hills (5k effort) with run down recovery, 15-20 minute cool down | |
| Thurs | Easy day 3-4 miles | |
| Fri | Easy day 3-4 miles or 45-60 minutes of aerobic cross training (bike, elliptical, hike, or swim) | |
| Sat | Long run 10-12 miles | |
| Sun | Easy day 3-4 miles, 4x20 second hill strides |
| Day | Training Plan | Coach Cory Says: |
| Week 4 |
| Mon | Rest or walk | |
| Tues | Easy day 4-5 miles, 4x20 second hill strides | |
| Wed | Workout 10-15 minute warm up run, 3/2/1 minute hills (10k effort) with jog down recovery followed by 5 minutes (half marathon effort) on flat or rolling hills, 15-20 minute cool down run | |
| Thurs | Easy day 4-5 miles | |
| Fri | Easy day 4-5 miles or 45-60 minutes of aerobic cross training (bike, elliptical, hike, or swim) | |
| Sat | Long run 10-12 miles | |
| Sun | Easy day 4-5 miles, 4x20 second hill strides |
| Day | Training Plan | Coach Cory Says: |
| Week 5 |
| Mon | Rest or walk | |
| Tues | Easy day 3-4 miles, 4x20 second hill strides | |
| Wed | Workout 10-15 minute warm up run, 3x4 minutes (marathon effort) with a 2 minute jog recovery on flat or rolling hills, 10-15 minute cool down run | Taper - gradually ease back on your training so that you are fresh and itching to race! From this point on it is all about maintaining the work you have done and keeping your legs lose for race day! |
| Thurs | Easy day 2-3 miles | |
| Fri | Easy day 2-3 miles | |
| Sat | Long run 6-8 miles | |
| Sun | Easy day 2-3 miles, 4x20 second hill strides |
| Day | Training Plan | Coach Cory Says: |
| Week 6 - Race Week! |
| Mon | Rest! | Carb load and hydrate throughout the week not just the night before the race. |
| Tues | Easy day 2-3 miles, 4x20 second hill strides | |
| Wed | Easy day 2-3 miles | |
| Thurs | Easy day 2-3 miles | |
| Fri | Pre-race 30 minute run, 4x20 second hill strides | |
| Sat | Race day! | You can be a fierce competitor and still have fun! Don't take yourself too seriously! Enjoy the community! |
| Sun | Food!!!!! | Stock up on the calories and recover! |
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INTERMEDIATE 25K TRAINING PLAN
| Day | Training Plan |
| Week 1 |
| Mon | Rest or walk |
| Tues | Easy day 6-8 miles, 6x20 second hill strides |
| Wed | Workout 2-3 mile warm up, 2x 3/2/1 minute hills (10k effort progressing to 5k effort) with run down recovery, 2-3 mile cool down |
| Thurs | Easy day 6-8 miles |
| Fri | Easy day 4-6 miles or 60 minutes of aerobic cross training (bike, elliptical, hike, or swim) |
| Sat | Long run 10-12 miles |
| Sun | Easy day 6-8 miles, 6x20 second hill strides |
| Day | Training Plan |
| Week 2 |
| Mon | Rest or walk |
| Tues | Easy day 6-8 miles, 6x20 second hill strides |
| Wed | Workout 2-3 mile warm up, 4x3 minute hills (10k effort) with a run down recovery, 2-3 mile cool down |
| Thurs | Easy day 6-8 miles |
| Fri | Easy day 4-6 miles or 60 minutes of aerobic cross training (bike, elliptical, hike, or swim) |
| Sat | Long run 10-12 miles |
| Sun | Easy day 6-8 miles, 6x20 second hill strides |
| Day | Training Plan |
| Week 3 |
| Mon | Rest or walk |
| Tues | Easy day 6-8 miles, 6x20 second hill strides |
| Wed | Workout 2-3 mile warm up, 6x1 minute hills (10k effort) with run down recovery followed by 15 minutes (half marathon effort) on flat or rolling hills, 2-3 mile cool down |
| Thurs | Easy day 6-8 miles |
| Fri | Easy day 4-6 miles or 60 minutes of aerobic cross training (bike, elliptical, hike, or swim) |
| Sat | Long run 12-14 miles |
| Sun | Easy day 6-8 miles, 6x20 second hill strides |
| Day | Training Plan |
| Week 4 |
| Mon | Rest or walk |
| Tues | Easy day 6-8 miles, 6x20 second hill strides |
| Wed | Workout 2-3 mile warm up, 3x3 minute hills (10k effort) with run down recovery followed by 15 minutes (half marathon effort) on flat or rolling hills, 2-3 mile cool down |
| Thurs | Easy day 6-8 miles |
| Fri | Easy day 4-6 miles or 60 minutes of aerobic cross training (bike, elliptical, hike, or swim) |
| Sat | Long run 14-16 miles |
| Sun | Easy day 6-8 miles, 6x20 second hill strides |
| Day | Training Plan |
| Week 5 |
| Mon | Rest or walk |
| Tues | Easy day 6-8 miles, 6x20 second hill strides |
| Wed | Workout 2-3 mile warm up, 25 minutes (marathon effort) on flat or rolling hills, 2-3 mile cool down. After this session we begin to taper for your race! |
| Thurs | Easy day 5-6 miles |
| Fri | Easy day 4-6 miles or 60 minutes of aerobic cross training (bike, elliptical, hike, or swim) |
| Sat | Long run 10-12 miles |
| Sun | Easy day 5-6 miles, 4x20 second hill strides |
| Day | Training Plan |
| Week 6 - Race Week! |
| Mon | Rest! |
| Tues | Easy run 4-6 miles |
| Wed | Easy run 4-6 miles |
| Thurs | Easy run 4-6 miles |
| Fri | Pre-race 30-45 minute run, 4x20 second hill strides |
| Sat | Race day! |
| Sun | Food!!!!! |
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5 TOP TIPS FOR YOUR TRAIL SUB-ULTRA RACE
- Take fuel for any race that will take longer than 1.5hrs. Ideally you want 200-300 calories an hour and start fuelling 20 minutes in.
- Take lap splits each time you fuel. It will help you break up the race into 20-30 minute segments. Mentally that is easier to handle than thinking of the entire distance or amount of vert to climb.
- I prefer handheld bottles and a running belt for sub-ultras because there are plenty of aid stations close together. Plus, you feel faster!
- Sub-ultras may be short but quite a few of the well-known ones have lots of vert. Don't underestimate the vert! Look at the course profile ahead of time and make a pacing plan based on that.
- Let yourself fly on the downhills late in the race! Trust your feet: you can run downhill faster than you think you can. Let gravity do the work and let your arms flail around to keep your balance.
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CORY'S (B)EAST COAST TRAIL RACE PICKS
Here are a few races that I love along the East Coast of the US (in the trail running community we tend to call it the Beast Coast because of how technical the terrain is!):
- 7 Sisters Trail Race (12 Miles), MA
Full disclosure - this one is sponsored by inov-8! A little shorter than the 25K mark at 12 miles, but don't be fooled. 12 miles on some of the most challenging trail in the Northeast - including 3,500 of elevation gain. - Grand-Further Mountain Run (25K), NC
This one isn't for beginners! The 25K route incorporates 4,200 feet of elevation gain as you climb Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina not once, but twice! - Breakneck Point Half Marathon, NY
A technical and steep trail half marathon course that takes in 4,300 feet of elevation gain. This one is not for the faint-hearted - some points of the course require climbing, so make sure you're prepared for the terrain. - Hyner View Trail Challenge (25K), PA
This is a great 25K route, featuring great views, stream crossings and 4,000 feet of vertical gain. A great fun course for beginners and veterans alike! - South Mountains Half Marathon, NC
A little over half marathon at 13.3 miles, the South Mountains Half Marathon takes in 2,800 feet of elevation gain, 600 stairs and 3 creek crossings. It's a race very close to my heart as the 50K event was my first ultra - the route is very runnable and not as technical as some others on this list, making it great for beginners!
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