100 Mile Training Plan

24 weeks·5 days / wk·100 mile·intermediate

Weeks: 24
Sessions: 119
Peak week: 75 mi; week 21
Long run: 31 mi; week 21
Taper: 3 wk

BaseCutbackBuildPeakTaperRace

Weekends pair a long run with a back-to-back run to train fatigue resistance without a single huge day.

Week-by-week training plan
Wk	Focus	Sessions	Volume	Biggest session
01	Base: time on feet + hiking skillLong 14 + 8.5 mi	5 · 4 key	40.5 mi	Long 14 + 8.5 mi
Vertical target: 5800 ft Tue Oct 6 Hill power-hike + run 3 × 4 min 6 mi Warm-up 15 min easy · @ 9:28–10:25/mi 3 × 4 min on a 10–15% grade · alternate: odd reps power-hike hands-on-knees, even reps run; walk down Cool-down 10 min easy Wed Oct 7 Steady tempo 15 min 6 mi Warm-up 15 min easy 15 min @ marathon effort · 8:25/mi Cool-down 10 min easy Thu Oct 8 Easy run 6 mi 6 mi easy · @ 9:28–10:25/mi; trails if you can Sat Oct 10 Long trail run 14 mi 14 mi 14 mi on terrain like race day · @ 9:28–10:25/mi on flats; power-hike climbs Vertical target: 3200 ft · practise race-day fuel and kit Sun Oct 11 Back-to-back 8.5 mi 8.5 mi 8.5 mi on tired legs · @ 9:28–10:25/mi Vertical target: 1700 ft · include a 20–30 min hiking block on the steepest climb
Weeks 2–24 locked Unlock the full plan. Every session, every week Paces and loads from your numbers PDF, calendar and Garmin export Re-plans when you miss a key session Billing period$79 / year$14 / month Annual works out at $6.58 a month Secure checkout with Stripe · Cancel any time
02	Base: time on feet + hiking skillLong 15 + 9 mi	5 · 4 key	42 mi	Long 15 + 9 mi
03	Base: time on feet + hiking skillLong 16.5 + 10 mi	5 · 4 key	44.5 mi	Long 16.5 + 10 mi
04	Cutback: recover, no back-to-backLong 10.5 + 6.5 mi	5 · 2 key	30.5 mi	Long 10.5 + 6.5 mi
05	Base: time on feet + hiking skillLong 17.5 + 10.5 mi	5 · 4 key	46 mi	Long 17.5 + 10.5 mi
06	Base: time on feet + hiking skillLong 18.5 + 11 mi	5 · 4 key	47.5 mi	Long 18.5 + 11 mi
07	Base: time on feet + hiking skillLong 19.5 + 12 mi	5 · 4 key	49.5 mi	Long 19.5 + 12 mi
08	Cutback: recover, no back-to-backLong 13 + 7.5 mi	5 · 2 key	35.5 mi	Long 13 + 7.5 mi
09	Build: back-to-back long runs + vertLong 21 + 12.5 mi	5 · 4 key	53 mi	Long 21 + 12.5 mi
10	Build: back-to-back long runs + vertLong 22 + 13 mi	5 · 4 key	54.5 mi	Long 22 + 13 mi
11	Build: back-to-back long runs + vertLong 23 + 14 mi	5 · 4 key	56.5 mi	Long 23 + 14 mi
12	Cutback: recover, no back-to-backLong 15 + 9 mi	5 · 2 key	39 mi	Long 15 + 9 mi
13	Build: back-to-back long runs + vertLong 24 + 14.5 mi	5 · 4 key	58 mi	Long 24 + 14.5 mi
14	Build: back-to-back long runs + vertLong 25.5 + 15 mi	5 · 4 key	61.5 mi	Long 25.5 + 15 mi
15	Build: back-to-back long runs + vertLong 26.5 + 16 mi	5 · 4 key	63.5 mi	Long 26.5 + 16 mi
16	Cutback: recover, no back-to-backLong 17 + 10.5 mi	5 · 2 key	44 mi	Long 17 + 10.5 mi
17	Peak: race-simulation weekendsLong 27.5 + 16.5 mi	5 · 4 key	66.5 mi	Long 27.5 + 16.5 mi
18	Peak: race-simulation weekendsLong 29 + 17.5 mi	5 · 4 key	69 mi	Long 29 + 17.5 mi
19	Peak: race-simulation weekendsLong 30 + 18 mi	5 · 4 key	72 mi	Long 30 + 18 mi
20	Cutback: recover, no back-to-backLong 19.5 + 11.5 mi	5 · 2 key	50.5 mi	Long 19.5 + 11.5 mi
21	Peak: race-simulation weekendsLong 31 + 18.5 mi	5 · 4 key	75 mi	Long 31 + 18.5 mi
22	Taper: keep the legs freshLong 21.5 + 13 mi	5 · 4 key	60 mi	Long 21.5 + 13 mi
23	Taper: keep the legs freshLong 15.5 + 9.5 mi	5 · 4 key	49 mi	Long 15.5 + 9.5 mi
24	Race week — 100-mileRace 100 mi	4 · 1 key	15 mi	Race 100 mi

Your paces

Easy / long: 9:28–10:25/miflat-ground reference; go by effort on climbs
Marathon effort: 8:25/mi
Threshold: 7:53/mi
Flat-course equivalent finish: 14:10:43before terrain and aid stations

The numbers

About this plan

This 100 mile training plan spends 24 weeks moving from 40.5 mi to 75 mi a week, with week 21 the biggest. Week 12 sits at 39 mi; that weekend is 15 + 9 mi. The longest single run is 31 mi in week 21, and the Sunday back-to-back peaks at 18.5 mi.

Weekly vertical rises with volume to 10500 ft, and 352 minutes of steep power-hiking sit in midweek hill sessions. Recovery weeks are week 4 (30.5 mi), week 8 (35.5 mi), week 12 (39 mi), week 16 (44 mi) and week 20 (50.5 mi).

Flat easy pace is 9:28–10:25/mi at VDOT 42; on a 100-mile trail, effort beats pace. The 3-week taper runs 75 mi → 15 mi in race week, closing 1223 mi of training.

Week 1, shown in full above, is 40.5 mi: Tuesday — hill power-hike + run 3 × 4 min, 6 mi; Wednesday — steady tempo 15 min, 6 mi; Thursday — easy run, 6 mi; Saturday — long trail run 14 mi; Sunday — back-to-back 8.5 mi.

The phases run base weeks 1–7 (40.5–49.5 mi), build weeks 9–15 (53–63.5 mi), peak weeks 17–21 (66.5–75 mi), taper weeks 22–23 (49–60 mi) and race week 24 (15 mi).

Questions

FAQ

How many miles a week does the 100 mile training plan peak at?

75 mi in week 21, from 40.5 mi in week 1 and 39 mi in week 12.

Why back-to-back long runs on the 100 mile training plan?

31 and 18.5 mi on consecutive days load tired legs without one 50-mi day's recovery cost.

What vertical does the 100 mile training plan build to?

10500 ft a week at the peak of 24 weeks; match it to your course profile.

When does the 100 mile training plan taper start?

3 weeks, from 75 mi to 15 mi, with the 100-mile on the Saturday of week 24.

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