3 Hill Workouts for Hilly Marathons - StrengthRunning

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of “3 Hill Workouts for Hilly Marathons” from StrengthRunning. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

The best hill runners are simply the most aerobically developed; focus on high‑volume long runs first.
Formal hill sessions add injury‑prevention, power, and strength without replacing mileage.
Three types of hill workouts:
1. Long hill repetitions (slow/long) – ideal early in the base phase.
2. Short, fast hill repetitions – best later in the cycle when you’re peaking.
3. Marathon‑pace hill sections within a long run – most specific to race day, used in the final month.
Hill sprints (6‑10 s max effort, full recovery) are an advanced, optional drill for speed and power.

Workout Example:

Long Repetition Hill Workout (Base phase, first 25‑33% of plan)
- 5 x 3‑minute uphill repeats at 10k / half‑marathon / tempo pace (≈ 7‑8 min/mile).
- Jog or easy run back down for recovery.
Short, Fast Hill Repetitions (Late‑season, speed‑focus)
- 8‑10 x 1‑1.5 minute hill repeats at 5k pace (≈ 5‑6 min/mile).
- Jog back down for recovery.
Marathon‑Pace Hill Segment (Final month, race‑specific)
- During a long run (e.g., 20 mi), include 5 mi of goal marathon pace (≈ 7‑8 min/mile) on a hilly route, or repeat 2‑3‑mile hilly sections at goal pace.
- Use the second half of the long run for this effort.

Optional Hill Sprints (advanced):

6‑10 seconds all‑out hill sprints (very steep) with ~2 min walk recovery. Treat as a post‑easy‑run drill for power and injury prevention.

Closing Note: Give these hill workouts a try, adjusting the paces to match your own training zones in the Pacing app. Build the long reps early, add the fast reps later, and finish with marathon‑pace hills for race day confidence. Good luck, and enjoy the hills!