COACH’S CORNER - From New Runners to Ultra Runners by Gary Mullins
FROM NEW RUNNERS TO ULTRA RUNNERS: GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT IN THE FIRST 2 YEARS
So, you want to run ultras? You’ve been watching the elites glide over mountains, talking about lactate thresholds, VO2 max, mind set and something about gut training. But before you start loading your pack with the essentials and running up the nearest vertical climb, let’s talk about what really matters in the first two years of your ultra running journey.
Ultra running isn’t about cramming as much as possible into your week, it’s about building a foundation that will make you stronger for the years ahead. Whether you're running five to six days a week or just three to four, getting the basics right will determine how far you go and how well you hold up.
For the Runner Training 5 - 6 Days Per Week
If you’re running five or six days a week, you have the flexibility to build volume while introducing specific training elements gradually. But here’s the mistake most new ultra runners make, they go all in on climbing, speed work, and long runs too soon, breaking their bodies before they even get to the start line.
Year 1 - 2 Blueprint
Build Your Base: The majority of your training should be easy aerobic running. This is how you build endurance and develop the efficiency needed for ultras. If most of your weekly mileage is at an effort where you can talk comfortably, you’re doing it right.
Introduce a Speed Session (V02 Work): One session per week should focus on controlled speed, which could be short hill sprints, strides, or intervals to develop turnover and efficiency. It’s not about redlining, it’s about sharpening movement patterns and recruiting muscle fibers.
Develop Thresholds in the Long Run: Long runs aren’t just about time on feet. Over time, introducing structured efforts, like finishing the last 20 - 30 minutes at an aerobic high end effort will help develop endurance at pace.
Consistency Over Intensity: Don’t fall into the trap of chasing big individual workouts. The real magic in ultra running is showing up week after week, month after month, year after year.
Hill Strength Has a Time and Place: Yes, hills are a huge part of ultra running, but you don’t need to force it all year. Early in the training cycle, hill strength can be built through running hills & gym work (leg exercises, loaded carries, and posterior chain work, agility work). As race day approaches, specificity increases meaning you start mimicking the course profile in training.
Key Takeaway: If you’re running five to six days a week, focus on making easy runs easy, keeping long runs progressive, and introducing structured efforts at the right time. Hill strength is developed year round but should be dialed in based on race demands.
For the Runner Training 3 - 4 Days Per Week
If you're running only three to four days a week, you need to make those days count. The approach shifts from spreading the workload across the week to prioritizing what matters most.
Year 1 - 2 Blueprint
Long Run Above All: Your long run is the backbone of your training. Everything else should be built around it. If you can’t fit anything else in, do the long run.
More Hills, Fewer Extras: Without the luxury of five or six days to spread volume across, your long run should include hills as much as possible. More elevation means more muscular endurance, and in ultras, muscle fatigue will stop you before aerobic fitness ever does. Make sure they are hills you can run. They don't need to be huge. Start small and progress.
Mid-Week Consistency: With fewer training days, the mid-week runs need structure. One should be a threshold session, working at or slightly above your sustainable aerobic high-end effort. The others should be steady efforts that support the long run.
Intensity and Specificity: Since mileage is limited, effort distribution becomes even more critical. When intensity is applied, it should be in the form of threshold running, progressive long runs, or hill based efforts.
Key Takeaway: When running three to four days a week, the long run dominates your structure, hills are baked into every session, and threshold work ensures you're developing efficiency in less time.
What This Means for Your Ultra Future?
Regardless of how many days a week you run, the fundamentals are the same.
- Build aerobic capacity through consistency.
- Develop efficiency with threshold work.
- Integrate hill strength based on your needs, not just because everyone else is doing vert challenges.
- Make every session serve a purpose, whether it's easy recovery or hard effort.
Your first two years in ultra running should be about patience and progression not smashing every hill, overloading speed work, or chasing training volume at the expense of sustainability. The runners who last? They’re the ones who respect the process, stay consistent, and don’t rush the climb.
Stick with it. Your best ultras are still ahead.
andy dubois has more than 20 years of experience in coaching, is a level 3 autra coach and the director of mile 27 endurance coaching, specialising in coaching ultra runners.
iF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON BEING TRAINED BY Gary, CLICK THROUGH HERE TO OUR AUtRA ENDORSED COACHES PAGE.
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