You do not have to run every step of a 50K.
I use a run/hike approach for my ultras because I want to enjoy the adventure and keep moving well as the hours add up. If you are a busy runner looking for a realistic way to prepare, that approach belongs in your training.
Here is the big picture from my 50K training walkthrough: build a routine, give your sessions a purpose, practice the details, and arrive ready to run your own race.
Watch: How to Run Hike a 50K
Watch the full 20-minute training walkthrough on YouTube. The video walks through an earlier version of my guide. Use the current plan's entry requirements, schedule, and included resources when choosing your training.
Start with a base you can build on
A 50K training block should build on fitness you already have. It is a big jump if you are still working toward a consistent running and hiking routine.
Be honest about your starting point. Read the entry requirements in the current training guide before you begin. If you need a smaller first step, the free 16-week 25K plan gives you a goal to build toward.
You are looking for a progression you can recover from and repeat. The calendar needs to fit your life as well as your race.
Block 1: Build a repeatable routine
In the video, I explain the 16-week training structure in four blocks. The first block is about building your base and making training part of your week.
Consistency starts with a schedule you can actually follow. Your long outing does not have to happen on Saturday. If you work shifts, or Wednesday is the day you have time, move the days to fit.
Keep the recovery day after your long outing when you rearrange the week. Shifting days should help you complete the work and recover from it, rather than squeeze everything together.
Take the pressure off comparing your pace with somebody else's Strava. You are preparing for your own adventure.
Block 2: Add purposeful hill work and hiking
The next block introduces harder work. I use hill repeats in the walkthrough and explain effort using RPE: rate of perceived effort.
Pay attention to how hard the session feels instead of trying to hold the same pace on every trail. Climbing changes the work. Follow the effort and duration in your plan, and let the easier parts of the session be easier.
Hiking gets dedicated practice, too. There is a difference between taking a casual stroll and hiking with the purpose of moving through an ultra.
- Practice a steady hiking rhythm on climbs.
- Learn to switch between running and hiking without turning every transition into a stop.
- If your race allows trekking poles and you plan to use them, practice with them during training.
Hiking is a skill you can improve. Give it the same attention you give your running.
Keep cross-training useful and enjoyable
I surf, mountain bike, and walk with my wife. Those activities help me keep other things I enjoy in my life while I train.
In the video, I treat the easier cross-training day as active recovery. Keep its purpose in mind. A hard session in another sport still adds work to your week.
Choose something that fits the plan and leaves you ready for the next session. You do not have to make every day a test.
Block 3: Make your long runs race practice
The endurance block is where the details start coming together: time on feet, terrain, food, drinks, and gear.
If the plan calls for a continuous long outing, try to keep it as one outing. That gives you the chance to learn how things feel as the time adds up. Running and hiking can both be part of that time.
Use the vest, bottles, shoes, and other equipment you expect to race with. Find the small problems while you still have time to solve them.
Turn your car into an aid station
One of my favorite ways to prepare is to use a loop or out-and-back that returns to my car. I bring a cooler and set it up like an aid station.
Choose a route that fits your planned duration and terrain. Each return becomes a chance to practice the routine you will use on race day:
- Refill your bottles.
- Empty your trash.
- Pick up the food you need for the next section.
- Check your gear and keep moving.
This helps you practice more than endurance. You learn where you waste time and what you forget when you are tired.
Learn what you can keep eating
I have tested gels, chews, sandwiches, and sushi during these outings. Real food worked well for me, and having food I enjoyed made it easier to keep eating.
Your experience may be different. Practice the food and drinks you intend to use, and notice what still sounds good later in the outing. Have options instead of building the entire day around one product.
Start learning this before race week. The finish line is a difficult place to discover that your food, bottles, or routine do not work for you.
Block 4: Reduce the load and handle the logistics
The final block is the taper and race. Follow the reduction in training laid out in your plan.
Use that time to check the race information. Know where you need to be, when you need to arrive, how the course works, and what you need to carry. Sort out travel and accommodation so they are not last-minute distractions.
You have practiced the work. Give yourself room to arrive ready for it.
Race day: Start within yourself
In the video, I share a trick I use: starting near the back. I am competitive, and being away from the front helps me avoid getting pulled into somebody else's opening pace.
The point is to start at an effort you have practiced. Run your race from the beginning. Hike when that fits your plan, and give yourself a chance to keep moving well later.
Passing someone later can feel good, but it is not a promise or the goal for everyone. A steady day you enjoy is a worthwhile result.
Take the next step toward your 50K
Build a week you can repeat. Practice hiking with purpose. Turn your long outings into rehearsals for the course, food, gear, and aid stations.
If you are ready to choose a plan, see the current Stupid Simple training plans. If you are building your base first, start with the free 25K plan.
For more lessons from my own ultra running, read How to Finish an Ultramarathon: 6 Tips That Matter.
See you on the trails,
Eric
This article shares the approach explained in the video. Adjust training to your experience, recovery, and race demands; use the current guide for the full schedule.
“Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means!”
Romans 3:3–4 (ESV, excerpt)