Time and effort, not pace
On trail the same effort covers very different paces, so every session is minutes at an effort you can feel: easy, steady, threshold or hard. Add your max heart rate and each effort gets a heart-rate range.
Weekly running time grows from 60 percent of the level's peak by at most ten percent a week, with every fourth week lighter. First-ultra plans peak at about 7 hours a week, experienced at 9, competitive at 11.
What a 50k week looks like
The long run and the back-to-back the day after carry most of the week. A hill session rotates through hill repeats, long hill intervals, power-hike repeats and hill fartlek. Easy days carry strides and hill sprints. Six-day plans add a tempo or steady run.
Climbing grows toward the race's own total climb at the peak. Enter the race's elevation gain and the plan sets weekly targets and splits them across the long run, the back-to-back and the hill session.
Fuelling and the taper
Every run of two hours or more carries the fuelling target from the ISSN position stand: 30 to 50 g carbohydrate and 450 to 750 mL fluid per hour. The peak phase ends with race rehearsals in race kit. The taper cuts volume to 70 and then 45 percent while keeping a short hill session.
Sample plans by level
How it works
- 1Pick your race date or week count. Enter the race date and the plan counts back to next Monday, or choose the number of weeks. The 50k default is 16 weeks.
- 2Choose your running days. Four to six days. The long run, then the back-to-back the day after, then a rest day.
- 3Pick your experience and the race's climbing. First ultra, experienced or competitive sets the weekly hours. The race's total climb sets the weekly climbing targets.
- 4Get the plan and the PDF. Every week, every session in minutes and effort, with climbing and fuelling notes. Download the PDF or copy the link.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the plan in hours and effort instead of pace?
On trail the same effort is 5 minutes per km on a flat path and 15 on a steep climb. Pace would be wrong most of the time, so every session is minutes at an effort: easy, steady, threshold or hard, with RPE and heart rate.
How much should I eat during a trail ultra?
The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends 150 to 400 kcal per hour, with 30 to 50 g carbohydrate, plus 450 to 750 mL fluid and extra sodium. Every long run of two hours or more carries that note, so you practise it in training.
When should I hike instead of run?
On steep climbs. Walking costs less energy than running on inclines steeper than about 16 degrees (Giovanelli 2016), and the most economical mountain paths are around 20 to 30 percent. The plan puts power hiking into long runs and has a power-hike repeat session.
What is a back-to-back long run?
A second long-ish run the day after the long run, easy, on tired legs. It rehearses the second half of an ultra without one very long run. It is common coaching practice rather than something trials have tested, so the plan keeps it at about a fifth of the week.
Is the plan really free?
Yes, forever, with no account and no email. The plan and the PDF are yours. If you want a coach who adapts it to how each week went, that is what Coach Kalle does.
How long should the longest run be for a 50k?
In this plan, 3.5 hours for a first ultra, 4.5 for experienced and 5 for competitive runners, reached in the peak phase and followed by a back-to-back the next day.
Sources
- Tiller NB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutritional considerations for single-stage ultra-marathon training and racing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2019;16:50.
- Giovanelli N, et al. Energetics of vertical kilometer foot races; is steeper cheaper? J Appl Physiol 2016;120(3):370-375.
- Minetti AE, et al. Energy cost of walking and running at extreme uphill and downhill slopes. J Appl Physiol 2002;93(3):1039-1046.
- Knechtle B, et al. Predictor variables for a 100-km race time in male ultra-marathoners. Percept Mot Skills 2010;111(3):681-693.
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Last updated 6 September 2026.