Mastering Ultramarathon Pacing: Elite Insights for DIY Training
The moment the trail vanished beneath my feet
The sound of gravel crunching beneath my left shoe still echoes in memory, as does how the pine-scented air thickened just before we reached the first aid station. My first 100 km mountain race began that way: wrapped in cold mist, beneath a threatening sky, surrounded by strangers who’d soon feel like family. I recall a nervous grin on the runner ahead, his shoulders rising and falling with each step, and then this sudden, wordless drive to just keep going.
Years have passed, but that morning still feels like a compass point to a larger question: how do I turn the chaos of an ultra into a controlled, enjoyable experience?
From chaos to cadence: why pacing matters
After reviewing race reports from elite ultrarunners (Ian Sharman, Jonas Buud, Camille Herron) a pattern became clear. Success came not from talent alone, but from running at a rhythm the body could sustain. Research from the Journal of Applied Physiology shows that maintaining a steady heart-rate zone reduces the risk of glycogen depletion and limits the dreaded “hitting the wall”.
Think of it as the metronome effect: when you lock into the rhythm of your own steps, you avoid the early surge that leads to collapse. Elite runners speak of personalised pace zones, heart-rate or perceived-effort ranges tailored to their fitness, the terrain, and what they plan to eat. Here’s what matters:
- Aerobic threshold (Zone 2): the sweet spot where fat oxidation dominates, preserving glycogen stores.
- Lactate tolerance (Zone 3): a slightly harder effort that can be used for short surges (e.g., hill climbs) without accumulating excess lactate.
- Recovery (Zone 1): easy jogs or walk breaks that aid circulation and mental reset.
Once you align a race’s terrain with these zones, you move from guesswork to self-coaching.
Turning insight into action: a DIY pacing framework
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Map the course in advance.
- Start with the elevation profile. Most race websites share a GPX or PDF. Identify the long climbs, tricky terrain, and where the aid stations sit.
- Slot a pace zone into each segment. On a rolling 30 km climb, for instance, stick with Zone 2 except for a brief Zone 3 push at the top.
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Create a personal “metronome”.
- A basic watch or phone app can provide steady cadence cues, say, 170 steps per minute. You don’t need expensive gear; you just need live feedback.
- If your device allows custom alerts, use a gentle vibration when zones shift, a quiet nudge that you’re drifting faster or slower.
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Fuel to match the rhythm.
- Build your nutrition around zone work. Shoot for 60-90 g of carbs per hour in Zone 2; in Zone 3, a quick high-glycaemic gel gives that extra boost.
- Test this during long runs and pay attention to how your stomach responds when you hit the sweet spot.
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Iterate with adaptive training.
- After each long outing, look back at your average heart-rate and how hard it felt. If you kept creeping into Zone 3 on flat bits, your aerobic fitness might benefit from more base work.
- Design a weekly set of runs that hit each zone: a 20 km easy run (Zone 2), 10 km hill repeats (Zone 3), and 5 km recovery jogs (Zone 1). The body gradually internalizes the pattern.
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Use community insight.
- Talk through your zone-based plan with a local running group or online community. Others often spot things you miss, like suggesting an earlier water stop on a steep climb.
- You don’t need a fancy platform; community sharing alone builds accountability and sparks new thinking.
A reminder of the tools that matter
These steps thrive when you have personalised pace zones that shift with your growth, custom workouts that echo race conditions, and real-time feedback showing when you’re off track. Picture a system where you can adjust zones mid-session, assemble a week of targeted runs, and compare how a 5 km hill workout feels versus a flat 10 km outing. These features power a runner’s path toward self-coaching.
Closing thoughts: run with rhythm, run with purpose
Ultrarunning works because it values patience equally with pace. When you tune in to your body’s native rhythm, a 100 km race becomes a set of smaller, doable stretches. The next move is straightforward: give the “pacing-smart 20 km” workout a shot and notice the effect.
Happy running. If you want to try this, here’s a workout to get you started.
Pacing-smart 20 km workout
| Segment | Distance | Target zone | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 2 km | Zone 1 | Easy jog, focus on steady cadence (about 150 spm) |
| Steady state | 10 km | Zone 2 | Keep heart-rate around 70% of max, maintain about 170 spm |
| Hill bursts | 4 km (2 × 2 km) | Zone 3 | On each climb, increase effort for 3 min, then recover back to Zone 2 |
| Cool-down | 4 km | Zone 1 | Slow jog, enjoy the scenery |
How to use it:
- Identify the hills on a known route or park with some gentle slopes.
- As you run, watch how effort shifts; tweak the cadence cue as needed.
- When you finish, record the average heart-rate and how each zone felt. That data will guide your next race strategy.
Run curious. Run rhythmic. Let every footfall inch you toward the ultra race you’ve envisioned.
References
- Ian Sharman Post-2019 Western States 100 Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
- 2015 IAU 100k World Championships Results – iRunFar (Blog)
- Adam Peterman, 2022 Canyons by UTMB 100k Champion, Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
- Sam McCutcheon Post-2017 Tarawera Ultramarathon Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
- US Men 2nd at 100k World Champs; Incredible Women’s Race – iRunFar (Blog)
- Cameron Clayton Post-2013 UROC 100k Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
- Tim Freriks Pre-2017 The North Face 50 Mile Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
- Sam McCutcheon Pre-2018 Tarawera Ultramarathon Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
Collection - The Ultra Pacing Foundation
The Aerobic Foundation
View workout details
- 15min @ 7'00''/km
- 45min @ 6'00''/km
- 15min @ 7'00''/km
Easy Run
View workout details
- 5min @ 7'00''/km
- 25min @ 6'45''/km
- 5min @ 7'00''/km
Pacing Control Intervals
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- 15min @ 6'45''/km
- 4 lots of:
- 5min @ 5'22''/km
- 3min rest
- 15min @ 7'00''/km
Recovery Run
View workout details
- 5min @ 7'30''/km
- 20min @ 7'00''/km
- 5min @ 7'30''/km
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