Hill Strides
Hill strides are short, strong uphill efforts of about 15 to 30 seconds, run at the end of an easy run, in the second half of one, or in race week. They build power with less impact than flat sprinting and give newer runners a safe way to start on speed. This is general training guidance.
What they are
On a hill stride you run uphill for about 15 to 30 seconds, building from relaxed into a strong but controlled effort, then jog or walk back down until you are fresh before the next one, usually one to two minutes. Keep a slight forward lean, especially uphill.
They are power work. Hill strides put power onto your aerobic base, and they keep top-end power trained all year even in a plan with a lot of threshold work. Running them uphill gives you the hard push of a sprint with less impact on the joints.
Why newer runners start on a hill
A newer runner starts strides on a moderate hill because the impact on the joints is lower, and moves to flat ground later. A recreational runner can run uphills hard on a loop, around 7 to 8 out of 10, and recover on top.
How many, and how often
The dose rises with experience.
- Recreational 5K runners: strides or hill sprints practically every week, all year. One feel-good-fast session a week is enough for amateurs under 50 miles a week, and it can be hills for strength.
- Advanced trail runners: two or three days a week, 4 to 8 reps of 20 to 30 seconds, mostly uphill, at the end of runs.
- Any runner short on power: hill strides belong in all of the training, most of all for power-limited runners, which means runners in their 60s and then just about anybody.
- Masters, over 50: peak power falls with age, and very short hill strides plus lifting such as squats can hold it or improve it. See the guide on hill repeats for longer hill efforts.
Hill strides in race week and on race day
5K: do the bigger hill sprints earlier in race week and not the day before. Flat strides the day before and in the warm-up bring the pop back. See the guide on strides.
Road 10K, half marathon and marathon: 4 to 6 strides of 20 to 30 seconds the day before, preferably uphill because the injury risk is lower. Elite road runners often do 4 or 5 x 30 seconds of strong hill strides before a race. Race week often follows travel, so the point is not to cause an injury the day before, and the set stays short.
Other places to use them
At the end of a long run: fatigue resistance improves when your body gets better at burning carbohydrate late in a run after a lot of fat use, and it takes little to signal that. Thirty-second hill strides at the end of a long run are a small signal repeated over and over, and they help 5K and 10K runners too.
As the power tool in strength work: hill sprints sit with medicine ball throws and jumps as power work. See the guide on strength training for runners.
Safety
Hill strides are a hard-pushing effort. Warm up with an easy run first, ease in with a few, keep them controlled and not maximal, start on a moderate hill, skip them if you are injured or if anything sharpens when you drive uphill, and stop the set when your form breaks down.
Common questions
What grade should a hill stride be?
A moderate hill, because the impact on the joints is lower than on flat ground. A newer runner starts on the hill and moves to flat strides later.
How long is a hill stride, and how much rest do I take?
About 15 to 30 seconds, with one to two minutes of easy jogging or walking back down between them.
How many hill strides, and how often?
Advanced runners do 4 to 8 reps, two or three times a week, and a recreational 5K runner practically every week.
Should I do hill strides the day before a race?
Four to six strides of 20 to 30 seconds, preferably uphill because the injury risk is lower. For a 5K, do the bigger hill sprints earlier in race week.
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