It has to be one of the most iconic ultramarathon distances: 100 miles. Some of the most famous ultras in the world are 100-milers (such as the UTMB® – Western States Endurance Run and GSER), so it’s easy to see why the distance captures the imagination of so many runners.
Running 100 miles is no small undertaking, so as with any other running goal, it’s crucial to have a plan.
That’s not just a great training plan (more on that in a minute), but also a plan for hydration, fuelling, sleep, strength work and general self-care.
We’ve asked international athlete and UKA-certified coach Sarah McCormack to write a training plan to help you prepare for GSER 100-miler. The plan is aimed at experienced athletes, who have previously run an ultra – although it doesn’t matter whether you’ve run a 100-mile race before.
We hope you enjoy it and that you race strongly – happy running!
It’s important to be honest with yourself before embarking on a training plan.
Sudden jumps in weekly mileage, ascent and speedwork are a recipe for injury or burnout.
Our 100-mile ultramarathon plan is for experienced runners. You will need to already be running a high mileage in training and have completed a couple of ultras previously. You don’t have to have completed a 100-miler before though, so this plan can be used for first timers and battle-scarred veterans alike.
It’s important you read the training guidelines in conjunction with this program, as it explains the sessions in more depth. It’s also worth reading the section on working out your effort levels too, particularly where the plan talks about running sessions at different race paces.
| Week | Mon | Tues | Weds | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rest | Surges: 6 x 30s quick but relaxed/2 min easy jog in between | Rest or 5 km easy | Hill reps: 5 x 2 min hard uphill with easy jog recovery back to start | Rest | 8 km – easy | 23 km long run with 20% of race climb |
| 2 | Rest | 6.5 km – easy | Rest or 5 km easy | Hill reps: 5 x 2.5 min hard uphill with easy jog recovery | Rest | 8 km – easy | 26 km long run with 20% of race climb |
| 3 | Rest | 15 min steady tempo @ 3h race pace (65-70% effort) | Rest or 5 km easy | Hill reps: 5 x 3 min hard uphill with easy jog recovery | Rest | 6.5 km – easy | 16 km long run with 10% of race climb |
| 4 | Rest | Surges: 6 x 30s quick but relaxed/2 min easy jog in between | Rest or 5 km easy | Hill reps: 4 x 2 min hard uphill with easy jog recovery | Rest | 8 km – easy | 4-5h hilly hike |
| 5 | Rest | 20 min steady trail tempo @ 3h race pace (65-70% effort) | Rest or 5 km easy | 20 min hill fartlek – all uphills hard effort (1h race pace or 90%) | Rest | 5 km – easy | 29 km long run with 20% of race climb |
| 6 | Rest | 6.5 km – easy | Rest or 5 km easy | Trail fartlek: 3 x 8 min tempo @ 2h race pace (80%) with 2 min easy in between | Rest | 10 km – easy | 6-7h hilly hike |
| 7 | Rest | 25 min steady trail tempo @ 3h race pace (65-70% effort) | Rest or 5 km easy | 25 min hill fartlek – all uphills hard effort (1h race pace or 90%) | Rest | 6.5 km – easy | 32 km long run with 20% of race climb |
| 8 | Rest | 6.5 km – easy | Rest or 5 km easy | Trail fartlek: 3 x 10 min tempo @ 2h race pace (80%) with 2 min easy in between | Rest | 11 km – easy | 6-7h hilly hike |
| 9 | Rest | Hills: 1-2-3-3-2-1 min hard uphill/easy run down | Rest or 5 km easy | Trail progression: 15 min @ 3h race pace (65%) → 10 min @ 2h race pace (80%) | Rest | 8 km – easy | 16 km long run with 15% of race climb |
| 10 | Rest | 8 km – easy | Rest or 5 km easy | 2 x 15 min steady tempo @ 3h race pace (65-70%) with 3 min easy in between | Rest | 10 km – easy | 39 km long run with 25% of race climb |
| 11 | Rest | 6.5 km – easy | Rest or 5 km easy | Surges: 6 x 30s quick but relaxed/2 min easy jog | Rest | Trail fartlek: 2 x 10 min tempo @ 2h race pace (80%) with 2 min easy in between | 8-9h hilly hike |
| 12 | Rest | 8 km – easy | Rest or 5 km easy | Trail progression: 15 min @ 3h race pace (65%) → 10 min @ 2h race pace (80%) → 5 min @ 1h race pace (90%) | Rest | Hill reps: 4 x 2 min hard uphill with easy jog recovery | 19 km long run with 10% of race climb |
| 13 | Rest | Surges: 6 x 30s quick but relaxed/2 min easy jog | Rest or 5 km easy | 2 x 20 min steady tempo @ 3h race pace (65-70%) with 3 min easy in between | Rest | 5 km – easy | 45 km long run with 30% of race climb |
| 14 | Rest | 5 km – easy | Rest or 5 km easy | 10 km – easy | Rest | 3 x 3 min hard uphill/easy run down, then 20 min tempo @ 3h race pace | 19 km long run with 15% of race climb |
| 15 | Rest | 20 min hill fartlek – all uphills hard effort (1h race pace or 90%) | Rest or 5 km easy | 40 min steady tempo @ 3h race pace (65-70%) | Rest | 6.5 km – easy | 8-9h hilly hike |
| 16 | Rest | 6.5 km – easy | Rest or 5 km easy | Trail progression: 20 min @ 3h race pace (65%) → 20 min @ 2h race pace (80%) | Rest | 10 km – easy | 26 km long run with 10% of race climb |
| 17 | Rest | 6.5 km – easy | Rest or 5 km easy | Surges: 6 x 30s quick but relaxed/2 min easy jog | Rest | 6.5 km – easy | 11 km long run with 5% of race climb |
| 18 | Rest | 6.5 km – easy | Rest or 5 km easy | 5 km – easy | Rest | 3 km – easy | Race Day! |
Note:
Runs marked in bold are good opportunities to test your race day fueling strategy.
All distances have been converted from miles to kilometers (rounded to the nearest half km where necessary).
“hilly hike” sessions remain the same in terms of duration.
Be coached by GSER 2019 100 mile Winner Isobel Tait