Want to Run an Ultra Marathon? Here's Where to Start.

Training for a long-distance sport, whether it's an ultra (or a triathlon) is not just about how far you can go. It’s about how well your body can adapt, recover, and stay resilient when you start pushing the envelope.

I’ve coached individuals through some incredible physical feats: achieving PRs at the Boston Marathon each year, crushing the Triple Crown of 200s in Colorado (three 200mi runs within 3 months) and crossing the finish line of the first of many Ironmans. Every one of those journeys required more than grit. It required intelligent, well-rounded training.

If you’re considering an ultra, here’s what your body actually needs to perform at a high level and stay healthy along the way.

Endurance vs. Strength Training: You Need Both

Endurance training and strength training serve very different, but equally critical, purposes.

Endurance training builds your aerobic engine. It allows you to:

• Sustain effort for long periods

• Improve cardiovascular efficiency

• Delay fatigue and energy crashes

• Survive the sheer volume of miles required for ultras

  
  

Strength training is what allows you to maintain speed, efficiency, and form when fatigue sets in. Strength:

• Preserves power late in races

• Improves running economy

• Reduces injury risk as volume increases

• Supports joint integrity and tissue tolerance

  
  

From a biomechanical standpoint, endurance training primarily challenges slow-twitch muscle fibers and metabolic efficiency. Strength training targets fast-twitch fibers, tendon stiffness, and neuromuscular coordination. When you neglect one, the other suffers.

Athletes who train both perform better and stay healthier over long training cycles.

A General Training Split for Ultras & Ironmans

There’s no one-size-fits-all plan, but successful endurance athletes typically include all of the following components each week:

• Long endurance sessions (zone 2 focus)

• Shorter, higher-intensity efforts (tempo, threshold, or intervals)

• Strength training (2–3x/week)

• Mobility and recovery work

• At least one intentional rest or low-load day

  
  

Progression Matters More Than Aggression

The biggest mistakes I see are increasing everything at once. Instead, progress strategically:

• Increase volume (distance or time) when your body feels stable and recovery remains consistent

• Increase frequency before intensity if durability is the goal

• Increase pace only when volume feels sustainable and mechanics remain clean

  
  

Only one variable should increase at a time. When volume goes up, intensity often needs to come down. When intensity increases, volume may need to stabilize or decrease. This balance is what allows long-term adaptation instead of burnout or injury.

Strength Training: Your Secret Weapon

Strength training isn’t optional for endurance athletes. It’s protective and performance-enhancing.

Prioritize:

• Glutes and hip stabilizers

• Hamstrings and calves

• Core and trunk stability

• Single-leg strength and control

  
  

Strength maintains power output, preserves stride efficiency, and helps you hit PRs even late in a race. At the same time, full-body training matters. A strong upper body and trunk reduce energy leaks and fatigue over long distances.

Mobility Is More Than Stretching

Stretching alone isn’t enough, especially during high-volume training cycles.

Your program should include:

• Joint mobilizations to reduce tension at muscle attachment points

• Thoracic spine mobility for posture and breathing efficiency

• Hip and ankle mobility to support stride mechanics

• Controlled range-of-motion work under load

  
  

Mobility done well improves movement quality and reduces unnecessary tension without destabilizing joints.

Other Advice That Matters More Than You Think

• Fuel early and often. Under-fueling leads to injury and stalled progress.

• Sleep is training. Adaptation happens during recovery, not mileage.

• Pain is information. Learn to distinguish between training stress and warning signs.

• Your nervous system matters. Chronic stress outside of training impacts performance inside it.

• Consistency beats hero weeks. Always.

  
  

Respect the Journey

Training for a long-endurance sport is demanding, humbling, and deeply rewarding. When done right, it builds not just physical capacity, but confidence and resilience.

Train smart. Build strength. Move well. And give your body the support it deserves as you take on something extraordinary.

If you want guidance that integrates performance, movement quality, and long-term health, that’s where physical therapy and intelligent training come together.

Your body is capable of more than you think. Let’s make sure it’s prepared for the journey.