How I Trained for My First Ultra Marathon

When I signed up for my first ultra, I wasn’t an elite athlete. I was an everyday runner who had run a marathon, yes, but I’d never gone beyond it. The idea actually started when I was training for that marathon, running from village to village and realising it was completely feasible to run to my nearest city on foot — a journey everyone else takes by train. That quiet realisation that I could cover that distance under my own power is what planted the seed for my first ultra. This is the exact approach I used to go from “I hope I can finish” to confidently running my first ultra—without burning out, getting injured, or hating the process.

Starting Point: Where I Was Before Training

Before I began my ultra build, I was:

Comfortable running 25–35 km (15–20 miles) per week
Irregularly doing a long run of 16–20 km (10–12 miles)
Mixing in the occasional tempo run or intervals, but nothing structured
Not doing much strength training beyond the odd set of squats and planks

I wasn’t starting from zero, but I also wasn’t “ultra ready.” My main goals were:

Finish the race strong, not just survive it
Avoid major injury in training
Learn the basics of ultra pacing, fueling, and mindset

The Big Picture: My 16-Week Training Framework

I gave myself 16 weeks to train specifically for the 50K. I broke it down into four phases:

Base Building (Weeks 1–4) — Increase overall volume gently
Specific Endurance (Weeks 5–10) — Back-to-back long runs and race-specific terrain
Peak Phase (Weeks 11–13) — Highest volume and longest long runs
Taper (Weeks 14–16) — Reduce volume, keep the legs sharp, arrive rested

Throughout the entire plan, I focused on three pillars:

Consistency over hero workouts
Time on feet over pace
Recovery as a non-negotiable part of training

Weekly Structure: What a Typical Week Looked Like

Most of my weeks followed a similar rhythm, with the details (pace, distance, and terrain) changing as I progressed.

Monday: Easy run or rest (30–45 minutes easy, or full rest if I felt run down)
Tuesday: Quality session (tempo, hill repeats, or intervals)
Wednesday: Easy run + short strength routine
Thursday: Medium-long run at comfortable effort
Friday: Rest or 30 minutes very easy + mobility work
Saturday: Long run (building up to 3–4 hours)
Sunday: Second long-ish run (60–120 minutes, usually slower than Saturday)

This structure gave me:

1 hard workout per week
1 medium-long run
Back-to-back weekend long runs to practice running on tired legs
Plenty of easy volume to build durability

Phase 1: Base Building (Weeks 1–4)

The goal of this phase was simple: make running more days per week feel normal, and nudge my weekly volume up without any big spikes.

Key focuses:

Keeping almost every run at an easy, conversational pace
Gradually building the long run from ~16 km (10 miles) to ~24 km (15 miles)
Introducing short hill strides once a week for leg strength and form
Starting a basic strength routine (2x per week, 20–30 minutes)

By the end of week 4, I was running closer to 40–45 km (25–28 miles) per week and feeling more resilient, not more exhausted.

Phase 2: Specific Endurance (Weeks 5–10)

This is where the training started to look “ultra-specific.” I shifted the focus from just weekly mileage to the quality of my long runs and how I fueled them.

What changed:

Introduced back-to-back long runs most weekends
Started doing more runs on trail and race-like terrain
Practiced fueling and hydration every long run, not just “when I remembered”
Kept one quality weekday session, but slightly toned down intensity

Example Week in this phase:

Monday: Rest or 30 minutes very easy
Tuesday: Tempo session, e.g. 3 x 10 minutes at comfortably hard effort with 3-minute jog recoveries
Wednesday: 45–60 minutes easy + strength
Thursday: 60–75 minutes steady on trails
Friday: Rest or 30 minutes recovery run
Saturday: Long run of 24–28 km (15–17 miles), hiking the steeper climbs, practicing race nutrition
Sunday: 12–16 km (7–10 miles) easy, on tired legs

These weeks taught me how it feels to run long while fatigued and how my stomach responded to different foods and gels.

Phase 3: Peak Training (Weeks 11–13)

In the peak block, I hit my highest volume and my longest long runs, while being as careful as possible about sleep and recovery.

Peak week benchmarks for me:

Weekly volume around 60–70 km (37–43 miles)
Longest single long run of ~32–34 km (20–21 miles)
Back-to-back of 30+ km on Saturday and 16–20 km on Sunday
Most long runs on trail, with similar elevation gain to the race

I didn’t try to “race” my long runs. Instead, I practiced:

Starting slower than I felt I could
Settling into a sustainable, easy effort
Walking the climbs intentionally
Eating and drinking on a schedule, not by guesswork

By the end of this phase, 3–4 hours of movement no longer felt intimidating. It felt familiar.

Phase 4: Taper (Weeks 14–16)

Tapering can mess with your head. You suddenly run less, and you might feel sluggish or doubt your fitness. I kept my taper simple:

Reduced volume to about 70%, then 50%, then ~40% of peak
Kept 1 short, sharp workout per week (like 6 x 2 minutes at tempo) to stay sharp
Held onto an easy long run, but much shorter (90–120 minutes)
Prioritized sleep, stretching, and walking

By race week, I felt restless, which for me is the sign of a good taper: my legs were ready to go.

Strength, Mobility, and Injury Prevention

In the past, I’d treated strength work as optional. For the 50K, I finally accepted that it’s part of training, not a bonus.

Twice per week, I did 20–30 minutes that looked something like this:

Squats or goblet squats
Deadlifts or Romanian deadlifts (light to moderate weight)
Reverse lunges or step-ups
Calf raises (single-leg when possible)
Core work: planks, side planks, dead bugs

I also tried to:

Do 5–10 minutes of mobility most mornings (hips, hamstrings, calves)
Roll my calves and quads lightly a few times per week
Back off early if a niggle persisted more than a few days

And most importantly:

Running yoga after every run. This is imperative to protecting your body. There are plenty of free resources across the internet.

You will certainly notice the difference in how my body handled the volume.

Listening to My Body: Fixing Small Problems Early

One standout lesson I learned in this build was to really listen to my body. Any tiny inconvenience in training—a bit of rubbing in my shoe, a hotspot under a strap, or the tightness of my vest—almost always grew into a much bigger problem if I tried to ignore it.

On long runs, I started treating small discomforts as early warning signs, not something to “tough out.” That meant:

Stopping for a minute to adjust my laces or socks when something felt off
Repositioning or loosening my vest as soon as I felt pressure or chafing starting
Adding a quick layer of lube to problem areas instead of hoping they wouldn’t get worse
Walking for a short stretch to reset my form if something felt tight or awkward

Those tiny adjustments during training runs saved me from race-ending blisters, chafing, and muscle strains. By race day, I’d practiced paying attention to my body and fixing small issues early, instead of letting pride or stubbornness turn them into major problems.

Fueling and Hydration: What I Practiced

For marathons, I’d often “wing it” with gels and water at aid stations. Ultras punish that kind of approach. So during training, I treated every long run as a dress rehearsal.

My basic long-run fueling plan:

Start eating around the 30–40 minute mark, not when I felt hungry
Aim for 30–50g of carbs per hour (gels, chews, or real food)
Drink regularly, adjusting for temperature, with electrolytes if it was warm
Practice aid-station style mini-breaks: walk while eating, then run again

I experimented with:

Different gel brands and flavors
Real foods like bananas, boiled potatoes with salt, and energy bars
Drinking from soft flasks versus a bladder in my vest

By race day I knew:

Which gels sat well in my stomach
Roughly how often I needed to refill bottles
That I could eat real food later in the race without issues

There is no one-shoe-fits-all when it comes to fuelling yourself for ultrarunning. So take your time in exploring which brands and which foods work best for you and your body.

Mental Training: Building the Ultra Mindset

The longest runs of this build weren’t just physical; they were mental dress rehearsals. I used them to practice the mindset I’d need on race day.

Some strategies that helped:

Breaking the distance into chunks: Instead of thinking “I have 50K to run,” I thought about the next aid station or the next 5K.
Accepting discomfort: Best advice I ever got on running was from an experienced ultrarunner who told me, “When your legs are burning, and everything hurts…it doesn’t get worse than that. It then just becomes how long you can sit with that pain. How long can you manage it?” I stopped expecting my legs to feel fresh late in a long run. Tired legs became a signal that training was working, not that something was wrong.
Positive self-talk: I practiced simple mantras like “strong and steady” or “just this hill” when I started to struggle.
Rehearsing the low points: On tough runs, I imagined how race-day me would respond: walk, eat, drink, then start running again.

Race Week: Final Prep

In the week leading up to the race, I focused on controling what I could and letting go of the rest.

My race-week checklist:

Cut volume significantly, keeping only a few short, easy runs with a couple of strides
Laid out all gear: shoes, socks, shorts, shirt, hat, vest, bottles, headlamp (if needed)
Pre-packed nutrition into labeled bags (by hour or aid station)
Checked the weather and made a simple clothing plan
Ate familiar foods (nothing experimental), slightly more carbs than usual
Prioritized going to bed a bit earlier, even if I didn’t fall asleep right away

Race Day: How the Plan Came Together

On race morning, I reminded myself: I had done the work. My main job was to stick to the plan I’d rehearsed for 16 weeks.

My race-day strategy:

Start at a pace that felt too easy for the first 10–15 km
Hike the steeper hills from the start instead of waiting until I was exhausted
Eat something small every 30–40 minutes, even if I didn’t feel like it
Refill bottles and grab food at aid stations without rushing frantically
Mentally reset at key checkpoints: 10K, 20K, marathon mark, final 5K

Did everything go perfectly? Of course not. My legs got heavy. I had a rough patch around 35–40K. But because I’d practiced eating, walking the climbs, and running on tired legs, nothing felt like a total surprise.

When I finally crossed the finish line, I was tired but not destroyed. I’d run my first 50K. And more importantly, I’d enjoyed the process of getting there.

What I’d Do Differently Next Time

Even with a successful finish, there are a few things I’d tweak next time:

More downhill conditioning: My quads took a beating on long descents. I’d add more downhill repeats and eccentric strength work.
More practice with “real” food: Later in the race, I craved something savory. Next time I’d practice more with potatoes, rice balls, or wraps.
Dialing in shoe choice earlier: I changed my preferred shoe model mid-cycle. Next time I’d settle on my race shoes earlier and use them consistently for long runs.

Key Takeaways for Your First ultra

If you’re training for your own first ultra, here are the big lessons from my journey:

Give yourself enough time. 12–20 weeks is a good range for most everyday runners, depending on your base.
Focus on time on feet. Don’t obsess over pace. Ultra success comes from durable legs and a steady effort.
Make long runs count. Use them to practice fueling, gear, pacing, and mindset.
Respect recovery. Sleep, nutrition, and easy days are what let the training sink in.
Train your mind as well as your body. Ultras are as much a mental game as a physical one.

I’m not a pro. I’m just an everyday runner who decided to see what was on the other side of 42.2 km. With a sensible plan, some patience, and a lot of snacks, you can absolutely train for and finish your first 50K too.

If you’re curious about building your own plan, adapting this one to your life, or choosing your first race, stick around—this site is all about helping everyday runners go just a little bit further.