With Coach Kelvin, offering Online Running Coaching for We Run and the We Run Virtual Running Club, and 1:1 Running Coach for Leeds and surrounding areas
Understanding Effort Distribution on Hills
When training for a hilly race – whether a marathon, half marathon, 10K, or 5K – it’s important to avoid applying equal intensity to both uphill and downhill sections. Instead, structured training should emphasise pushing harder on the uphills while using the downhills for recovery – at least in the earlier stages of training.
How to Structure Hill Training
1. Early Training: Focus on Uphills
At the start of training, the emphasis is on building strength on the uphills while keeping the downhills easy. Some ways to do this include:
- Running interval workouts on hills, such as 6x 1200m uphill repeats
- Choosing hilly routes and targeting effort on the climbs
- Assigning a specific intensity level for the uphills to mimic structured sessions
During this phase, downhills are treated as recovery, allowing the body to adapt without excessive strain.
2. Mid-Training Phase: Controlled Downhill Running
As training progresses, runners can start running the downhills at a smooth, fast, but controlled effort rather than purely using them for recovery. The focus is on:
- Running with a fluid, efficient stride
- Avoiding overstriding or braking to reduce unnecessary muscle damage
- Maintaining speed without making it an all-out effort
3. Late-Stage Training: Introducing Downhill Intensity
In the final training block before tapering (about 10-12 weeks out from race day), hard downhill efforts are strategically introduced. However, these should be done sparingly to avoid excessive muscle damage.
Key guidelines for downhill training:
- Limit hard downhill sessions to once every three weeks
- Expect some quad soreness initially, which will reduce with adaptation
- The goal is to prepare the muscles for race conditions, not to overtrain them
- See my separate video on How To Improve Your Technical Downhill Running On Trails for more advice
The first session will likely leave the quads sore for a few days, but by the third or fourth session, soreness should be minimal.
Avoiding Training Mistakes
One of the biggest errors runners make is not considering elevation when planning workouts – leading to accidental overloading of the quads on downhills. The eccentric contraction of the quads during downhill running can cause significant muscle and nervous system fatigue, requiring longer recovery.
To prevent this:
✅ Be intentional about whether your effort is on an uphill or downhill
✅ Ensure the runner is mechanically strong enough for downhill running
✅ Space out hard downhill efforts to avoid excessive strain
Final Thoughts
Preparing for a hilly race isn’t just about running harder – it’s about training smarter. By gradually incorporating downhill intensity at the right time while keeping uphills as the main effort, runners can build strength efficiently and minimise injury risk.
Got questions? Drop them in the comments! Happy running! 🏃♂️💨
