Connolly's Ultra Hill Repeats

Workout - Connolly's Ultra Hill Repeats

• 12min @ 9'30''/km
• 6 lots of:
  • 5min @ 6'00''/km
  • 2min rest
• 12min @ 9'30''/km

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Check out “My favourite runner’s favourite sessions - John Connolly” on This Messy Happy. We’ve distilled the main workout below so you can try it this week. The full video has plenty more context.

Key points

• John’s go-to session is stripped-back hill work, no complex intervals or gimmicks, just steady hard climbs repeated over and over.
• The main goal is sustained effort uphill (typically 4–10 minutes per repeat) to build aerobic capacity and mental toughness.
• It’s flexible. Scale based on how many reps you do. John has done 20+ reps on a 26-mile hill loop, but the principle is simple: pick a hill and attack it repeatedly.
• Keep the pace demanding enough that your heart rate stays up, but controlled so you can push the full 4–10 minutes without walking.
• This session trains willpower as well as the body. The grind teaches you the discipline needed for ultramarathon racing.

Workout example

Hill-graft session (modify distance and effort to suit your fitness):

1. Warm-up: 10–15 minutes at easy pace on flat terrain.
2. Select a hill with a steady slope (~5–8% grade) that takes 4–10 minutes to climb.
3. Run up the hill at a strong, even effort. Aim for tempo/threshold intensity, hard to talk but not gasping for air.
4. Recover by jogging or walking back down (about 2–3 minutes).
5. Do 6–12 repeats (or more if you’re experienced). Target a total of 30–60 minutes spent climbing.
6. Cool-down: 10–15 minutes easy jog on flat ground.

Tip: no access to a long hill? Split a shorter one into back-to-back efforts, keeping your total climbing time within the window above.

Add this hill-graft workout into your rotation. Adjust the repeats, climb length, and intensity to match your fitness using the Pacing app.

The full video has more of John’s background on hill training and his journey as an ultrarunner.

References

• My favourite runner’s favourite sessions - John Connolly - YouTube (YouTube Video)