Trail race training blueprint
6 days. The entire spine of Wales. Are you ready?
At 383.2 km with 17,083 m of elevation gain, this is an ultra-distance effort that demands careful fueling, pacing, and mental resilience. At 45 m of vertical per kilometer, much of the course is runnable — the plan focuses on building your aerobic cruising speed while preparing you for the steeper sections.
Race prep workspace
Your race plan, next route workout, official GPX, fueling, cutoff, weather, and calendar link in one place.
Base Building · 0/5 workouts done
Tue · 2027-05-25 · 1h 50m · ~12.1 km · +475 m
383.2 km · 17,083 m · no cutoff
Mon, 6 September 2027
Tier: strong-finish. Strength: no-gym.
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Terrain autopilot
We'll look for a loop near you that matches your next run (1h 50m · ~12.1 km · +475 m) and rehearses the 45 m/km demand of 383K.
Open mountain terrain, pathless fell running, bogs, rocky ridgelines. Navigation is critical—this is not waymarked.
September in Wales: rain is almost guaranteed. Wind, fog, and cold are constant companions on the ridges.
Unified race plan · beta
Uses the same load, recovery and taper rules as race discovery, with course-specific climbing only because this course has verified elevation.
Use it for race-effort sessions and race day. Easy runs stay easy whatever the goal; the plan's efforts come from how you run now.
Not stated. The plan assumes a typical starting week for this race and opens at 8h 25m of running.
This schedule opens at 8h 25m of running and 1,175 m of climbing in week one and peaks at 13h 50m and 2,950 m in a week; the longest planned outing is 6h 10m. These are prescriptions, not proof of readiness.
Swap concrete training days, or mark a day done/skipped without changing the race-specific template.
Calendar subscriptions refresh on the calendar app's schedule. This calendar export uses the selected start date and includes weekly summaries and any pre-base sessions. Use Keep this plan above for a fixed copy of the displayed race schedule.
Key sessions include route buttons that deep-link into the Planner with pre-filled distance + elevation filters.
The plan is scaled from the race profile, not a generic road-running template.
Training emphasis: time on feet, sustained climbing and descending, fueling, night running, and steady hike-run pacing.
The block begins on 2027-05-24, 33 weeks from now.
If your race has a time limit, this estimates the minimum average pace and whether your target finish time clears the cutoff.
Use the personal subscription URL for a live saved plan. Calendar links regenerate from their parameters and may reflect updated race facts or engine fixes. A kept plan and its downloads remain unchanged.
Disclaimer: this plan is general information, not medical advice. Adjust based on fatigue, experience, and injury history.
At 383.2 km with 17,083 m of elevation gain, this is an ultra-distance effort that demands careful fueling, pacing, and mental resilience. At 45 m of vertical per kilometer, much of the course is runnable — the plan focuses on building your aerobic cruising speed while preparing you for the steeper sections. This training plan adapts the 16-week structure specifically for 383.2 km with 17,083 m of elevation gain, scaling weekly volume and vert targets so your body is ready for race-day demands.
Ultra-distance trail races require a different approach to training than road marathons. Time on feet matters more than pace, and vertical accumulation is as important as distance. This schedule keeps the longer outings on single days at the selected running frequency and starting load. It also includes regular easier weeks.
The current 16-week schedule has these phases for 383.2 km and 17,083 m of climbing:
At 45 m of vertical per kilometer, much of the Dragon's Back Race 383K course is runnable. Training should emphasise aerobic cruising speed — tempo runs on rolling terrain, sustained effort on moderate climbs, and efficient flat-to-uphill transitions. The biggest risk on a runnable course is starting too fast; practice negative-split long runs to build discipline.