Stage Races

Covering 100km in one go has its own challenges, but it’s a whole different ballgame when you have to run that 100km really fast, even if over three days. COACH NEVILLE outlines your training, gear, and strategy for multi-day events.

If running in the mountains for a day is your idea of bliss, then a stage race can be heaven… or hell, depending on how well you have trained and on how much attention you have given to gear, race strategy, nutrition, hydration, and recovery.

Stage races have mushroomed, offering a wide range of options, usually over two to three days (and longer) and traverse some of the most spectacular areas in the country.

But try wing a stage race and it can quickly change from heaven to hell with forlorn runners strewn across the landscape or lying prostate in the medical tent.

Build in block training

The main difference to your training is that you need to include two to three block weekends where you do slow back to back long runs to simulate race conditions.

These block weekends should ideally be spaced two to three weeks apart with the last block being three to four weeks before the stage race. For most runners, the longest training run need not equal the distance of the longest day. For instance, if the longest day is 30km then your longest run would be about 26km. Competitive runners going for podium though would run further than this distance as they plan to race for all three days.

Many stage races have huge climbs such as the 6km monsters on the Golden Gate Challenge. The best is to power walk these and conserve energy. Never fight the mountain, but flow with it. If you can, find a steep climb or stairs to practice power walking in training.

Below is a block training plan for the eight weeks before a three-day stage race. You should already be able to run 20km comfortably.

Essential gear

Good gear can mean the difference between having fun on the trails or having a miserable outing. And in a worst-case scenario, good gear will keep you alive when the weather turns bad or you are lost.