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  • What is an ultramarathon?
  • Your guide to the training plan
  • The 50-mile ultramarathon training plan

Perhaps you've completed multiple marathons and now want to go beyond your 26.2-mile threshold. Or, you might be a newer runner looking to run very far from the off... Either way, a 50-mile race will scratch that itch and set you firmly in hallowed ultramarathon territory, testing your mental and physical resilience as you take on a mighty distance that's still not too extreme.

Keen but not sure how to get started? Endurance coaches Neil Scholes and George Anderson have compiled the following ultramarathon training plan to help you build up to a 50-mile race in just 16 weeks.

What is an ultramarathon?

Put simply, an ultramarathon is any race that is longer than a marathon (26.2 miles, or 42.2km). Just how much further you wish to go, though, is down to you – ultramarathons have no designated end point. You could opt for a flat, photogenic 50K ultramarathon, tipping you just over the marathon distance, or you could take on a multi-day epic spanning hundreds of miles and several regions (or even a whole continent).

Terrain-wise, ultramarathons are rarely held on everyday pavements and often involve more technical off-road sections. You could find yourself plodding along a towpath, breezing along a beach, battling through a bog (less ideal), or weaving your way through forests, across deserts, or up and down mountains.

Official ultramarathon races are growing in popularity in the UK and overseas, meaning there are no shortage of events to sign up to each year – and they are great ways to test your running endurance in a safe, supported way.

Your guide to the training plan

Before you get going, take a few seconds to familiarise yourself with the lingo included in this ultramarathon training plan.

Warm-up

minutes easy, 5 x 5 minutes at fast pace with 90-second recoveries, 10 minutes easy warm-up before each workout to prime your body for the activity at hand. A good warm-up will help to increase your heart rate and blood flow, enabling more oxygen to reach your muscles.

    Cool-down

    Particularly important after harder sessions, a cool-down is basically the reverse of a warm-up and helps your heart rate and blood flow to return to normal levels. It's also an ideal time to do some post-run stretches.

    Easy and recovery runs

    These runs should feel genuinely relaxed – no more than 5 or 6 out of 10 on your perceived exertion scale. Your breathing should be easy and you should be able to hold a conversation as you run.

    Tempo runs

    These are 'comfortably hard' runs, where you reach 8 out of 10 on your perceived exertion scale. You should only be able to utter about two or three words while running at this pace, which you could sustain for around an hour with controlled discomfort.

    Fast pace

    As the name suggests, this indicates a speedy but not all-out pace – more like 8.5 or 9 on your perceived exertion scale.

    Long run pace

    Your long run pace should be up to one or two minutes per mile slower than your marathon pace, depending on your goals.

    Back-to-back long runs

    These Saturday-Sunday runs are introduced in the second half of the training plan and play a key part in building the endurance required for an ultramarathon.

    S&C

    S&C, or The best massage guns for runners, is an important way to increase your strength while decreasing your injury risk. Do a circuit comprising the three exercises in the training plan below, as well as three others exercises of your choice. Complete three sets of 10-15 reps for one circuit, then add more circuits as your fitness increases.

    Health & Injuries box jumps, burpees, side planks, chin-ups, triceps dips and press-ups.

    Specificity

    This means training in the type of conditions you'll expect in your ultramarathon. If it's a trail race, for example, try to do at least half of your training runs off-road.

    The 50-mile ultramarathon training plan

    Week 1

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday: 35-minute easy run
    • Wednesday: 6-8-mile easy run
    • Thursday: S&C
    • Friday: 60-minute easy run, with 10 minutes at fast pace mid-way
    • Saturday: Rest
    • Sunday: 8 miles at long run pace

    Week 2

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday: 35-minute easy run
    • Wednesday: 15 minutes easy, 10 x 2 minutes at fast pace (with 1-minute recoveries), 15 minutes easy
    • Thursday: 1 mile easy, 6 miles at long run pace, 1 mile easy
    • Friday: S&C
    • Saturday: Rest
    • Sunday: 10 miles, where you run the first and last miles at easy pace and the middle 8 miles at long run pace

    Week 3

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday: 60-minute easy run
    • Wednesday: 15 minutes easy, 7 x 1 minutes at fast pace (with 75-second recoveries), 15 minutes easy
    • Thursday: S&C
    • Friday: 5 minutes easy, 35 minutes at long run pace, 5 minutes easy
    • Saturday: Rest
    • Sunday: 12 miles at long run pace

    Week 4

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday: 35-minute tempo run
    • Wednesday: 10 Fuel your ultra with these freeze-dried foods
    • Thursday: S&C
    • Friday: 6 miles at long run pace
    • Saturday: Rest
    • Sunday: 15 miles – start with 5 minutes easy, then slowly build to long run pace, then end with a few minutes at easy pace

    Week 5

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday
      • AM: 35-minute easy run
      • PM: 35-minute tempo run
    • Wednesday: 15 minutes easy, 5 x 5 minutes at fast pace (with 90-second recoveries), 10 minutes easy
    • Thursday: 60-minute easy run
    • Friday: S&C
    • Saturday: Rest
    • Sunday: Half marathon or 13-mile time trial – run faster than your long run pace, but slower than your tempo run pace

    Week 6

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday: 35-minute easy run
    • Wednesday: 15 minutes easy, 1/3/5/5/3/1 efforts at fast pace (with 1-minute recoveries), 15 minutes easy
    • Thursday: S&C
    • Friday: 35-minute easy run
    • Saturday: Rest
    • Sunday: 18 miles at long run pace

    Week 7

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday: S&C
    • Wednesday: 60-minute easy run
    • Thursday: 10 minutes easy, 6 x 2 minutes at fast past (with 1-minute recoveries), 3 minutes easy, 10 minutes tempo, 10 minutes easy
    • Friday: 35-minute easy run
    • Saturday: Rest
    • Sunday: 18 miles at long run pace

    Week 8

    • Monday: 35-minute easy run
    • Tuesday: 10 Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
    • Wednesday: Rest
    • Thursday: 10 minutes easy, 4 x 8 minutes at tempo pace (with 3-minute recoveries), 10 minutes easy
    • Friday: S&C
    • Saturday: Rest
    • Sunday: 22 miles at long run pace

    Week 9

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday: 45-minutes easy
    • Wednesday: 10 minutes easy, 3 x 1 mile at tempo pace (with 2-minute recoveries), 10 minutes easy
    • Thursday: S&C
    • Friday: 40-minute easy run
    • Saturday: Rest
    • Sunday: Half marathon – push the pace

    Week 10

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday: 45-minute easy run
    • Wednesday: 10 minutes easy, 7 x 1 mile slightly faster than long run pace (with 2-minute recoveries), 10 minutes easy
    • Thursday: S&C
    • Friday: 75-minute easy run
    • Saturday: Rest
    • Sunday: 20-Lands End to John O Groats ultra announced

    Week 11

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday
      • AM: 35-minute easy run
      • PM: 35-minute tempo run
    • Wednesday: 15 minutes easy, 30 minutes tempo, 5 minutes easy, 20 minutes tempo, 10 minutes easy
    • Thursday: Rest
    • Friday: S&C
    • Saturday: 15-minutes easy, 4 x 8 minutes at tempo pace with 3-minute recoveries, 10 minutes easy parkrun (where you push yourself), 20-25-minute cool down
    • Sunday: 3 hours 30 minutes at long run pace – practise taking on nutrition, water and (if you fancy them) sports drinks as you run

    Week 12

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday: Rest
    • Wednesday: 50-minute easy run
    • Thursday: 35-minute easy run
    • Friday: S&C
    • Saturday: 12-mile easy run
    • Sunday: 12-mile hilly run at long run pace

    Week 13

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday: 80-minute easy run
    • Wednesday: 80 minutes at long run pace
    • Thursday: Rest
    • Friday: S&C
    • Saturday: 15 miles at long run pace, including hills – practice eating during this run
    • Sunday: 15 mile run, where the first and last 5 miles are easy and the middle 10 miles are at marathon pace

    Week 14

    • Monday: Rest
    • Tuesday: S&C
    • Wednesday: 90 minutes at long run pace – fuel well during and after the run (as you have a big weekend ahead)
    • Thursday: Rest
    • Friday: Rest
    • Saturday: 10-The best running gels, snacks and drinks – recover and refuel
    • Sunday: 32-mile easy run – remember to eat and hydrate during the run and walk sections if you need to

    Week 15

    • Monday: Rest and stretch
    • Tuesday: Rest and stretch, as before – eat and hydrate well
    • Wednesday: 4-mile recovery run
    • Thursday: 8-The best running gels, snacks and drinks
    • Friday: Rest and stretch – eat and hydrate well
    • Saturday: S&C
    • Sunday: 10-The best running gels, snacks and drinks

    Week 16

    • Monday: Rest and stretch – eat and hydrate well
    • Tuesday: Same as Monday
    • Wednesday: Same as Monday and Tuesday – it's all about resting, stretching and keeping your energy and hydration levels in check right now
    • Thursday: mile easy run
    • Friday: Rest and stretch – eat and hydrate well
    • Saturday: Same as Friday – keep calm and reflect upon the success of your training
    • Sunday: It's ultramarathon race day. Enjoy the experience!