American Jim Walmsley, his compatriot Zach Miller and Spaniard Kilian Jornet run in the Col de Voza during the 16th Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) race near Chamonix, France, August 31, 2018.DENIS BALIBOUSE/Reuters
At one end of the trail running spectrum, there is Spanish superstar Kilian Jornet, who in October decided to run to the top of every peak above 3,000 meters in the Pyrenees. He ran all 177 events in just eight days, using a bicycle to get between the mountains.
On the other end of the spectrum, there is a growing crowd of runners who venture off paved roads at a more modest pace. Over the past decade, according to a report from RunRepeat and World Athletics, participation in organized trail running events has more than tripled. Additionally, Canada was one of three countries where women outnumbered men on the trails.
Running is running, but new trail runners quickly discover that the off-road environment poses unique challenges. Three recent studies offer insight into what it takes to thrive on the trails.
Run hard
Researchers at the University of Lyon in France compared groups of recreational and elite trail runners in a series of laboratory tests. The goal was to determine which characteristics best distinguished them from others.
The results, which appear in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, show that elite runners moved more efficiently on flat and hilly terrain, burning less energy to maintain a given pace. One possible explanation: They had greater leg strength than recreational runners.
Interestingly, the same researchers found a similar trend in a previous study comparing elite trail and road runners. Even though both groups were at a similar level of competition, the trail runners had stronger legs and moved more efficiently over hilly terrain.
Takeaway meals? Leg-strengthening exercises such as squats and lunges can be particularly helpful for trail runners, allowing them to handle variations in terrain and incline.
Adjust your pace
One of the most famous trail running events in the world is the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, which consists of a series of races ranging from 40 to 171 kilometers. In the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public HealthA team from the University of Leon in Spain analyzed the pace patterns of the 5,656 finalists in the 56-kilometer race between 2017 and 2021.
The total climbs and descents during the race are more than 3,000 meters, so it is essential to judge the effort on the climbs and descents. The most notable finding was that faster finishers had greater variability in their pace. They slowed down more on climbs and accelerated more on descents compared to their average pace.
This is a trend that has shown up in previous studies on more moderately hilly running routes. We tend to set a pace and try to maintain it regardless of the terrain. According to research, a more effective strategy is to keep your effort consistent rather than your pace.
Think about the posts
At the University of Udine In Italy, a research team led by Italian mountain runner Nicola Giovanelli put runners on the world’s steepest treadmill. It can climb at angles of up to 45 degrees, or a 100 percent slope.
Their most recent discoveries, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, show that using hiking poles on steep hills doesn’t save energy, but it does save your legs. On a hill with a slope of about 20 degrees, the subjects applied 5 percent less force to their legs but reached the top 2.5 percent faster.
Poles remain a topic of heated debate among trail runners, and they are particularly relevant in the mountains. (Jornet used a pair of ultralight prototypes from the German company Leki during his assault on the Pyrenees.) But with a little practice, they can also be a useful balance aid for all kinds of difficult terrain, and the Science now confirms what pole fans say. have long touted their leg-saving benefits on the hills.
These ideas – strength training, pace variations, poles – are all potentially useful if you’ve already caught the trail bug and are looking to improve. On the other hand, if you’re curious about trails, you don’t need any training or specialized equipment to get started. Get outside, enjoy the scenery and solitude, pay attention to the roots, and make sure you get back to where you started.
Alex Hutchinson is the author of Enduring: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. Follow him on Twitter @sweatscience.
