Jason Koop is Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning and author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning“ Many runners injure themselves because they seek to increase performance by simply training more. Up to a certain point, a reasonable increase in overall workload (i.e., time on feet, elevation gain, strides, strength training or really anything) usually results in some …
Running injuries in ultramarathon training and racing are not going away. That’s a sobering fact, but the numbers don’t lie. On the training side, up to 70% of runners will become injured every year and lose at least one day of training. Racing is just as injurious. For every 1000 hours of ultramarathon racing, there …
Mental fatigue is an expected component of ultramarathon running, but there are strategies athletes and support crews can use to lessen the negative effects of a tired brain. What Mental Fatigue Looks Like in Ultramarathons We’ve all seen the scene play out. A runner’s crew enters an aid station with enough gear to supply a …
How do you follow up a 2024 season highlighted by victories at Western States Endurance Run (in the second-fastest female time on record) and Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc? For Katie Schide, it was to win the 2025 Hardrock 100 in her debut appearance and break the counterclockwise and overall female course records! Hardrock …
All athletes must persist through a series of highs and lows, great performances and serious setbacks. Abby Hall’s journey from a 28-hour first finish at the 2019 Leadville 100 to winning the 2025 Western States Endurance Run in the fourth fastest female finishing time (16:37:16) was anything but linear. Abby Hall’s Troubled Journey to …
A lot of the ways athletes train have little to no basis in sports science. They are traditions rather than evidence-based practices. Most are harmless, like a 7-day training cycle or Sunday long runs, but there are a few run training traditions that you should do away with. I’ve been coaching trail and ultramarathon …
Trail running poles are increasingly popular in ultramarathon events. Once largely confined to European races, ultrarunning-specific trekking poles are common in nearly every mountainous ultra in the United States. Advancements in materials and construction have helped to make trail running poles lighter and easier to carry and stow. Used correctly, they can aid propulsion, …
Running can be hard on an athlete’s feet and blisters can happen to novice and experienced runners. Many runners rightfully focus on their footwear and making sure they have the right traction and support. However, it is also important to consider how your feet move in the shoes, the surface you’ll be running on, and …
Athletes miss training sometimes. They get sick, something comes up at work, there’s a family emergency, or any of life’s innumerable curveball. Reducing the number of training session you miss goes a long way toward reaching new heights in fitness and performance. This type of consistency has been key to safely increasing training workload …
When I give training talks, I can inevitably count on being asked, “How long should my longest run be?” When I get this question, I usually retort with, “Why do you need a long run?” Silence ensues. The silence stems from the fact runners rarely think about why they need a long run. And even more specifically, …