Most runners looking at an ultra have finished a marathon and are curious about what comes after it. The curiosity usually comes with a worry: if 26.2 miles hurt, how could 31 not? The answer is that an ultra asks for something different, not just more of the same, and a good plan teaches that difference over many weekends.
Pick the distance first. For most runners the first ultra is a 50K, about 5 miles past the marathon. All 12 of our ultra plans are written for the 50K, and so are 50K plans from Hal Koerner, Hal Higdon, and Matt Fitzgerald and Ben Rosario. Beyond that sit reviewed plans for 50 miles, 100K and 100 miles, which ask for much bigger weeks. If this is your first ultra, start at 50K.
You won't run the whole distance in training. Our 50K plans stop the longest run at 26 to 28 miles and put the rest on the next day. The reviewed plans go further, from 25 miles to 44. What you're really training is the late part of a long day: moving well on legs that stopped feeling fresh hours ago. Researchers are beginning to treat that as its own part of fitness. The ability to hold your fitness late in a long effort is emerging as a fourth factor in performance at the marathon and beyond, though how best to train it is still being worked out.
Some plans count hours, not miles. On trails, a mile can take twice as long as the one before it. The Run Like a Pro plans are written in minutes, and Higdon's ultra plans mix miles and hours from one weekend to the next. If your race climbs, a plan built on time on your feet fits it well.
Start from your week, not your goal. Starting points vary widely. Koerner's 50K opens with a 50-mile week, running all 7 days. Higdon's 50K is built for runners who have finished a marathon and are running about 26 miles a week. Run Like a Pro's Level 1 asks that you can run 80 minutes comfortably. Our own 50K plans start from about 16 to 45 miles a week. Pick the one whose week 1 looks like your week now.
What keeps you healthy. A long build is part of the safety. Tendons adapt more slowly than muscle and lungs, over months rather than weeks, and a lighter week every few weeks lets your body absorb the work. If you've been hurt, talk to your doctor or physical therapist before you start.
If none of these fits your week, Buena Vida can get you a personal 50K plan set to your schedule. Try it free for 7 days.
No plans match. Try another level or a different number of run days.
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