Sample plan

Núria's 50K in the hills.

Núria is 38 and has five years on the trails: four days a week, around 40 km with well over a thousand metres of climb and a 30 km long run. Sixteen weeks to a 50 km race with 2,800 m of climb, aiming to finish strong in about eight hours.

Built by Tuin on 7 September 2026

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, and nothing in it was edited by hand.

What the coach was told

Goal
Winter 50K trail
Race day
27 December 2026
Distance
50 km
Climb
2,800 m D+
Target
Finish strong
Runs per week
4
Weekly volume
~40 km
Longest run
30 km
Recent effort
10 km · 47:00
Threshold pace
4:55/km

The eight weeks before

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

46
48
52
53
34
55
56
52

1940 m · 2060 m · 2120 m · 2250 m · 1180 m · 2250 m · 2360 m · 2090 m D+

What the coach said, handing it over

Good news: your last 8 weeks already show real trail fitness — 30km long runs, 1450m of vert, hill reps and uphill tempos on repeat. That's not a beginner's base, so I've built a plan that keeps that shape and grows it toward your 50K/2800m day, in Cruise mode (gentle ramps, ~1 quality day/week, a deload roughly every 4th week).

Assumptions I made — tell me if any are off: (1) I kept your Tue/Wed/Fri/Sat run days and put your one weekly strength session on Thursday, since that's your free day and it's never the day before your Saturday long run. (2) Easy pace I've set around 5:50–6:20/km based on your recent easy trail runs. (3) Long run grows from your current ~24-30km toward ~34km peak (about 70% of race distance) by mid/late November, then tapers — never past the 4-5h time cap. (4) Weekly vert climbs toward ~2,600m at peak (roughly your race's D+), with three dedicated downhill sessions (weeks of Nov 2, Nov 16, Nov 30) to blunt quad damage before race day, spaced so the last one lands about 3 weeks out. (5) Race week (Dec 21–27) carries a short uphill sharpener Tue, easy days around it, and openers with strides the day before — never an all-easy taper week, that's what leaves legs flat on race day.

Full detail runs through the next 6 weeks and race week; the weeks between are outlined (same sessions and numbers, shorter descriptions) — I'll sharpen each as it comes into view. Shout if your weekly volume, days, or the 8-hour goal itself need adjusting.

The plan, week by week

Week 1from 7 Sept40 km planned

Settling into the block at your current volume

  • Tue 8
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 40–55 min
    Easy trail run, conversational pace.
  • Wed 9
    Uphill tempo · 8 km · 40–50 min
    Sustained climb at a strong-but-controlled effort — this is your race-specific tempo.
  • Thu 10
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight/light · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight/light · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 · moderate-heavy · Single-leg hip thrust 3 × 8 · moderate
  • Fri 11
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 40–55 min
    Easy trail run, conversational pace.
  • Sat 12
    Long · 24 km · 175–215 min
    Long run in the hills — same shape as your recent long runs, nothing new.
Week 2from 14 Sept48 km planned

Small build, first short hill-power session

  • Tue 15
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run, conversational.
  • Wed 16
    Short hill repeats · 8 × (45s / 2 min) · 35–50 min
    Short, steep hill power reps — the trail equivalent of a speed session.
  • Thu 17
    Strength
    Trap bar deadlift 4 × 5 · heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight/light · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight/light · Split squat 3 × 6 · moderate-heavy · Single-leg hip thrust 3 × 8 · moderate
  • Fri 18
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run, conversational.
  • Sat 19
    Long · 26 km · 195–235 min
    Long run in the hills, a touch further than last week.
Week 3from 21 Sept46 km planned

Continued build

  • Tue 22
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Wed 23
    Uphill tempo · 8 km · 40–50 min
    Sustained climb tempo, same shape, slightly longer work.
  • Thu 24
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · light-moderate · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · light-moderate · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 · moderate-heavy · Single-leg hip thrust 3 × 8 · moderate
  • Fri 25
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Sat 26
    Long · 28 km · 205–250 min
    Long run in the hills.
Week 4from 28 Sept39 km planned

Deload — absorb the last three weeks before building again

  • Tue 29
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 40–55 min
    Easy, short, no pressure.
  • Wed 30
    Short hill repeats · 6 × (40s / 2 min) · 30–40 min
    Lighter version of the hill session — quality kept, volume down.
  • Fri 2
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 40–55 min
    Easy, short.
  • Sat 3
    Long · 20 km · 150–180 min
    Shorter long run — this is the down week, on purpose.
Week 5from 5 Oct51 km planned

Back to building — first longer hill session

  • Tue 6
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Wed 7
    Long hill repeats · 4 × (4 min / 3 min) · 45–55 min
    Longer climbing reps — the trail VO2 session, a new shape for this block.
  • Thu 8
    Strength
    Trap bar deadlift 4 × 5 · heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · light-moderate · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · light-moderate · Split squat 3 × 6 · moderate-heavy · Single-leg hip thrust 3 × 8 · moderate
  • Fri 9
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Sat 10
    Long · 29 km · 215–260 min
    Long run in the hills, edging past your recent longest.
Week 6from 12 Oct49 km planned

New peak long run for this stretch

  • Tue 13
    Easy · 10 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 55–70 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Wed 14
    Uphill tempo · 9 km · 45–60 min
    Sustained climb tempo, longest of the block so far.
  • Thu 15
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 4 · heavy ~5RM · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · moderate · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · moderate · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 · moderate-heavy · Single-leg hip thrust 3 × 8 · moderate
  • Fri 16
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Sat 17
    Long · 30 km · 225–270 min
    Long run in the hills — your new peak distance for now.
Week 7from 19 Oct45 km planned

Deload

  • Tue 20
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy, short.
  • Wed 21
    Short hill repeats · 6 km · 30–40 min
    6×40s hill power, light.
  • Fri 23
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 40–55 min
    Easy, short.
  • Sat 24
    Long · 22 km · 165–195 min
    Shorter long run, down week.
Week 8from 26 Oct58 km planned

Build resumes, first hike-run session

  • Tue 27
    Easy · 10 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 55–70 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Wed 28
    Hike-run alternations · 8 km · 40–50 min
    Power-hike/run alternations — mountain over/under, race-specific.
  • Thu 29
    Strength
  • Fri 30
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Sat 31
    Long · 31 km · 230–275 min
    Long run in the hills, another small step up.
Week 9from 2 Nov59 km planned

First downhill session — building quad resilience

  • Tue 3
    Easy · 10 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 55–70 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Wed 4
    Downhill repeats · 8 km · 40–50 min
    Downhill reps, quick light feet — quad prep, descent #1 of 3.
  • Thu 5
    Strength
  • Fri 6
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Sat 7
    Long · 32 km · 240–285 min
    Long run in the hills.
Week 10from 9 Nov47 km planned

Deload

  • Tue 10
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy, short.
  • Wed 11
    Short hill repeats · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Light hill power.
  • Fri 13
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 40–55 min
    Easy, short.
  • Sat 14
    Long · 24 km · 175–215 min
    Shorter long run, down week.
Week 11from 16 Nov60 km planned

Approaching peak — second downhill session

  • Tue 17
    Easy · 10 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 55–70 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Wed 18
    Downhill repeats · 8 km · 40–50 min
    Downhill reps — descent #2 of 3.
  • Thu 19
    Strength
  • Fri 20
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Sat 21
    Long · 33 km · 245–295 min
    Near-peak long run — biggest time-on-feet day of the block so far.
Week 12from 23 Nov62 km planned

Peak week

  • Tue 24
    Easy · 10 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 55–70 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Wed 25
    Uphill tempo · 9 km · 45–60 min
    Sustained climb tempo.
  • Thu 26
    Strength
  • Fri 27
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Sat 28
    Long · 34 km · 255–305 min
    Peak long run — about 70% of race distance.
Week 13from 30 Nov57 km planned

Third and last downhill session, then easing off

  • Tue 1
    Easy · 10 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 55–70 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Wed 2
    Downhill repeats · 8 km · 40–50 min
    Last downhill session — descent #3 of 3, landing ~3-4 weeks out.
  • Thu 3
    Strength
  • Fri 4
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Sat 5
    Long · 30 km · 225–270 min
    Long run, easing back slightly after peak week.
Week 14from 7 Dec50 km planned

Taper begins

  • Tue 8
    Easy · 9 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 50–60 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Wed 9
    Long hill repeats · 7 km · 35–45 min
    Climbing reps, volume starting to ease.
  • Thu 10
    Strength
  • Fri 11
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 40–55 min
    Easy trail run.
  • Sat 12
    Long · 26 km · 195–235 min
    Long run, clearly shorter than peak — taper underway.
Week 15from 14 Dec39 km planned

Taper — volume down, legs staying sharp

  • Tue 15
    Easy · 8 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 40–55 min
    Easy trail run, ending in a few strides.
  • Wed 16
    Uphill tempo · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Short maintenance climb tempo, volume well down.
  • Thu 17
    Strength
  • Fri 18
    Easy · 7 km @ 5:50–6:20/km · 35–50 min
    Easy, short.
  • Sat 19
    Long · 18 km · 135–160 min
    Short long run, mostly about keeping legs moving.
Week 16from 21 Dec65 km planned

Race week

  • Mon 21
    Rest
    Full rest.
  • Tue 22
    Uphill tempo · 4 × (2 min / 3 min) · 30–40 min
    Race-week sharpener — short, keeps legs sharp without costing anything. You should finish feeling like you could do it again.
  • Wed 23
    Easy · 5 km · 25–35 min
    Easy recovery jog, flat if you can find it.
  • Thu 24
    Rest
    Full rest.
  • Fri 25
    Easy · 4 km · 20–25 min
    Short and easy, legs loose.
  • Sat 26
    Easy · 5 × (25s / 90s) · 25–30 min
    Openers — easy jog finishing with a few relaxed strides, gentle uphill if there's one nearby.
  • Sun 27
    Race day · 50 km · 440–520 min
    Winter 50K — 2,800m of climb. Even effort early, save something for the last third, and eat/drink from the gun.
The other sample plans
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Núria's 50K in the hills. — Sample plan · Tuin