Sample plan

First trail race training plan — 25K

Emma's first race on a mountain.

Emma is 37 and has run for four years, mostly on hills: four days a week, around 30 km, an 18 km long run. Eleven weeks to her first trail race — 25 km with about 1,200 m of climb — which she wants to finish running.

Built by Tuin on 9 September 2026
Shown from this week, so it reads like a plan starting today — every weekday, distance and session is exactly as it was written.

The runner is made up. The plan is not: it is exactly what Tuin built from these numbers, through the same door every athlete's first plan goes through. It was written in English — the other two languages are translated word for word, never renumbered, and strength exercises are named from a standard glossary so they read the same everywhere.

Why this plan looks like this

Emma already runs on hills, so this is not a plan about learning to climb — it is about the arithmetic she has not met yet: 1,200 metres of climb turns a 25 km race into something closer to a road half in duration, and her longest run is 18 km on friendlier ground. Every session here is set by effort and by metres, never by a pace, because a pace on a climb is a number that tells a runner nothing.

What the coach was told

Goal
Autumn 25K trail
Race day
27 December 2026
Distance
25 km
Climb
1,200 m D+
Target
Finish strong
Runs per week
4
Weekly volume
~30 km
Longest run
18 km
Recent effort
10 km · 55:00
Threshold pace
5:20/km

The eight weeks before

Weekly kilometres the coach read before writing a single session — the runs it built on.

29
29
29
30
22
33
33
34

812 m · 812 m · 812 m · 840 m · 616 m · 924 m · 924 m · 952 m D+

What the coach said, handing it over

Here's your first plan, built straight off your last 8 weeks (steady ~13km long runs, mostly on hills, a 10K in 33:00 at the end of August) and aimed at your 25K/1200m trail race on Dec 27. You're running Tuin in Cruise mode, so I've kept the ramp gentle and put a deload roughly every 4th week rather than pushing hard.

Assumptions I made — tell me if any are off: (1) your threshold sits around 5:30/km based on that 33:00 10K, which lines up nicely with your ~6:30/km easy pace, so I haven't touched calibration. (2) Long run grows from your current 14km toward a 20km peak (~80% of race distance) around early December, then tapers. (3) Weekly vert climbs toward ~600m in peak week, roughly half your race's 1200m, with the long run carrying most of it. (4) I put your one strength day on Thursday (a non-running day) and moved it out of race week entirely.

Shape of the 11 weeks: base building through late October, hill and uphill-tempo work from November, two downhill-focused sessions (weeks of Nov 16 and Nov 30) to prep your quads for the descents — landing a few weeks out so your legs recover in time, not right before the race. Race week (Dec 21) carries a short uphill sharpener on the Wednesday and easy openers with a few race-pace strides the day before — that's what keeps you feeling sharp rather than flat on race morning, not an all-easy taper.

This week is a short starter — easy runs Thursday/Friday, your first proper long run Saturday, a bit of strength Sunday. If you're running more than ~27km/week already or that 14km long run wasn't a one-off max, say so and I'll open the throttle a bit.

The plan, week by week

Sixteen weeks is a lot to scroll. Every week is folded — open the ones you want, and week one is open already.

11 weeks · Peak week 11 · 34 km planned

Week 1from 12 Oct4 sessions22 km planned

Starter week — easy running to get going

  • Thu 15
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy conversational run to open the plan.
  • Fri 16
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run, hills welcome but keep effort easy.
  • Sat 17
    Long · 10 km · 65–85 min
    First long run of the block — steady effort, walk anything steep.
  • Sun 18
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Split squat 3 × 6 · moderate
Week 2from 19 Oct5 sessions24 km planned

Base build — introduce short hill reps

  • Tue 20
    Short hill repeats · 8 × (1 min / 2 min) · 40–50 min
    Short steep hill reps — power up, walk down.
  • Wed 21
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run, hold it conversational.
  • Thu 22
    Strength
    Trap bar deadlift 4 × 5 · heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · Single-leg hip thrust 3 × 8
  • Fri 23
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run on rolling terrain.
  • Sat 24
    Long · 12 km · 80–100 min
    Long run, steady effort, slightly longer than last week.
Week 3from 26 Oct5 sessions26 km planned

Base build — longer hill reps

  • Tue 27
    Long hill repeats · 4 × (4 min / 3 min) · 45–55 min
    Longer climbing reps at strong effort — this is race-specific work.
  • Wed 28
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run, keep it relaxed.
  • Thu 29
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · Split squat 3 × 6
  • Fri 30
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run, hilly if you like.
  • Sat 31
    Long · 14 km · 95–115 min
    Long run, slightly longer again — this is your third build week before a rest week.
Week 4from 2 Nov5 sessions20 km planned

Deload — let the legs absorb the last 3 weeks

  • Tue 3
    Uphill tempo · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Light uphill tempo, easier dose this week — this is recovery, not a test.
  • Wed 4
    Easy · 5 km · 25–35 min
    Easy, short and relaxed.
  • Thu 5
    Strength
    Back squat 3 × 5 · moderate · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 2 × 8 · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 2 × 8
  • Fri 6
    Easy · 5 km · 25–35 min
    Easy run, flat if you can find it.
  • Sat 7
    Long · 10 km · 65–85 min
    Shorter long run — deload week, this is recovery not a step back in fitness.
Week 5from 9 Nov5 sessions27 km planned

Build resumes — hike-run rhythm

  • Tue 10
    Hike-run alternations · 6 × (3 min / 3 min) · 50–65 min
    Alternating power-hike and run — the mountain over/under, and genuinely race-specific.
  • Wed 11
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run, keep it truly easy.
  • Thu 12
    Strength
    Trap bar deadlift 4 × 5 · heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · Single-leg hip thrust 3 × 8
  • Fri 13
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run on hills.
  • Sat 14
    Long · 15 km · 105–125 min
    Long run, building past your previous best again.
Week 6from 16 Nov5 sessions29 km planned

First descent-focused session — protecting the quads early

  • Tue 17
    Downhill repeats · 5 × (3 min / 5 min) · 55–65 min
    Downhill repeats, quick light feet on the way down — this is what protects your quads on race day.
  • Wed 18
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run, legs may feel it from yesterday — keep it gentle.
  • Thu 19
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · Split squat 3 × 6
  • Fri 20
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run.
  • Sat 21
    Long · 17 km · 115–145 min
    Long run, another step up — biggest week so far.
Week 7from 23 Nov5 sessions24 km planned

Deload — absorb the last block

  • Tue 24
    Intervals
    Short hill reps, light dose, deload week.
  • Wed 25
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 26
    Strength
  • Fri 27
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run.
  • Sat 28
    Long · 12 km · 80–100 min
    Shorter long run, deload.
Week 8from 30 Nov5 sessions30 km planned

Peak build — second descent session

  • Tue 1
    Intervals
    Second downhill-focused session, still comfortably before race day for full recovery.
  • Wed 2
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 3
    Strength
  • Fri 4
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run.
  • Sat 5
    Long · 18 km · 125–155 min
    Long run, close to peak volume.
Week 9from 7 Dec5 sessions32 km planned

Peak week — biggest long run of the block

  • Tue 8
    Tempo
    Sustained uphill tempo at strong effort.
  • Wed 9
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 10
    Strength
  • Fri 11
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run.
  • Sat 12
    Long · 20 km · 145–175 min
    Peak long run — about 80% of race distance.
Week 10from 14 Dec5 sessions28 km planned

Taper begins — volume drops, legs stay sharp

  • Tue 15
    Easy · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Easy run with a few strides at the end.
  • Wed 16
    Easy · 5 km · 25–35 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 17
    Strength
  • Fri 18
    Easy · 5 km · 25–35 min
    Easy run.
  • Sat 19
    Long · 12 km · 80–100 min
    Taper long run — shorter, still on hills.
Week 11from 21 Dec7 sessions34 km planned

Race week

  • Mon 21
    Rest
    Full rest, let the taper do its work.
  • Tue 22
    Easy · 5 km · 25–35 min
    Short easy run, nothing more.
  • Wed 23
    Short hill repeats · 5 × (2 min / 2 min) · 30–45 min
    Uphill sharpener — this keeps your legs sharp, it doesn't build anything. You should finish feeling like you could do it again.
  • Thu 24
    Rest
    Rest day.
  • Fri 25
    Easy · 4 km · 20–25 min
    Very easy, legs should feel light and fresh.
  • Sat 26
    Easy · 5 × (30s / 90s) · 20–30 min
    Openers — easy jog finishing with a few relaxed race-pace efforts, gentle uphill if you have one nearby.
  • Sun 27
    Race day · 25 km · 220–260 min
    Race day — 25K, ~1,200m of climb. Run your own effort, hike the steep bits, enjoy it.
Other plans
Trail marathon, 42K →50K trail →5K under 20:00 →5K in 22:00 →5K under 25:00 →5K in 30:00 →10K under 40:00 →10K under 42:00 →10K in 45:00 →10K in 50:00 →10K in 55:00 →Half under 1:30 →Half in 1:45 →Half in 2:00 →Half in 2:10 →Half in 2:15 →First half, 2:30 →Marathon under 3:00 →Marathon in 3:30 →Marathon in 3:45 →Marathon in 4:00 →First marathon, 4:30 →

Yours would look different

Tuin writes every plan from the runs it can actually see and the goal you set — then keeps rewriting it as your weeks happen. The whole of it is free for 7 days.

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First trail race training plan — 25K · Tuin