By definition, a hill is simply a section of land that sits higher than its surroundings. Whether they’re rolling, long and gradual or steep and relentless, running hills will challenge your body differently than running on flat ground.
As a result, hills—including the treadmill—can be used as a training tool to support a wide variety of training goals, from conquering hilly trails and road races to increasing VO2 max while avoiding injury. “People think you have to be this incredible Olympian to run hills,” says Alan Ortega, store manager at the REI in Laguna Hills. “In reality, if you walk up the hills and run down [them], that’s still going for a run. And that might be one of the most fun runs you have.”
Ready to take your running workouts up a notch by adding hills? This article will cover:
- Benefits of running hills: Do it for the fitness boost, a mental challenge or simply for fun.
- How to approach hills: Learn the proper running form for inclines and declines.
- Training strategies: Understand how to incorporate hill workouts into your regimen–even if you live somewhere relatively flat.
- How to run hills on race day: Gain the knowledge and strategies necessary to navigate a hilly race route—whether you’re hoping to snag a PR (personal record) or you just want to cross the finish line with a smile.
Before You Start
Consider your health and fitness level. Before embarking on any new running plan, especially high-intensity workouts like running hills, consult your physician. While it’s generally safe to train alone, taking group fitness classes, joining a running club and/or finding a coach can help you progress faster, and make friends along the way! If you’re heading uphill on a trail, remember to wear grippy, trail-specific shoes and, depending on how remote you’ll be, to carry essentials like water, snacks, a first aid kit and perhaps even a light and navigation tools. For more trail running advice, refer to the series How to Go Trail Running.
Related Reading: Still nailing down your personal training goals? Check out the articles How to Start Running, 5K and 10K Trail Run Training Plans, How to Train for a Marathon and Tips for Your First Ultramarathon Trail Race.
Find a Running Class or Club at REI
You can also get technique help from trail-running classes and clubs:
Benefits of Running Hills
Indeed, whether you’re a sprinter looking to get faster or a distance runner hoping to increase stamina, hill workouts can help. Here are six great reasons to add some vert to your running routine.
- Boost endurance and cardiovascular fitness: Just like running on flat ground (“flats,” as we’ll call them in this article), running uphill requires significant oxygen demand from your muscles, which leads to a naturally elevated heart rate that prompts faster, deeper breaths. However, because running uphill is a higher intensity activity than running on flats, doing so will help to strengthen your heart and lungs faster. Over time, your body will be able to consume more oxygen more effectively, and you’ll feel better running longer and recover more quickly. To be clear, “Hill running isn’t a magical elixir,” says Anthony Wall, a world-ranked Masters sprinter and health/fitness expert who acts as the senior director of global business development for the American Council on Exercise (ACE), “but running hills can be very effective when incorporated into a training program.”
- Build muscular strength: Running uphill is a form of resistance training that helps to strengthen muscles in your legs, but it can also work your arms as you use them to help propel you forward with each stride. This pumping motion engages (and therefore strengthens) your core. You’ll also use your core muscles to stabilize your body as you step down on a tilted surface.
- Increase mental toughness: Running hills can be hard. “You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable,” Wall says. “Even if you run hills a lot, it will always feel hard.” While running hills should never be unbearable, pushing your limits during training sessions is the best-possible preparation for difficulties that may arise on race day (or during any run). Science suggests that positive self-talk and smiling are two helpful strategies for getting through the hardest workouts.
- Reduce pounding on your body (when you’re running uphill): When comparing runs at the same speed, uphill running stresses the joints less than running on flats. There is a tradeoff, however, Wall says. Expect increased stress on the front and back of your lower legs (the calf muscles and Achilles tendon, to be specific), and be careful not to push too hard too quickly, or you may get injured.
- Earn a look around: Running uphill means you’ll end up, well, up. Be sure to take a moment to enjoy those hard-earned views from the top.
- Enjoy the descent: Once you feel confident in your ability to run downhill safely, get ready for a good time, say the experts. Ortega likens it to “the best part of being a kid.” Meanwhile, ultrarunner and editor of product content at REI Yitka Winn compares it to “enjoying dessert after the work of the uphill climb.” Plus, adding something new to your workout routine will help to spice up a ho-hum, flats-only training regimen.
All that said, overuse injuries are still possible when running hills, so here are some bonus tips:
Hit the gym. If you start to experience shin splints, calf strains or Achilles tendonitis after increasing your uphill running, you may want to reduce the frequency or intensity and add lower-leg strengthening exercises to your training, like calf raises, soleus raises and plyometrics. Consult a licensed sports physical therapist for a routine suited to your body. Read more: Strength and Mobility Training for Runners.
Mind the downhill. Running downhill, especially if you’re tackling a steep decline, puts more stress on the knee joints, muscles in the front and back of the upper leg (the quads and hamstrings, specifically) and the lower back, as they work to stabilize and decelerate your body. Since gravity is pulling your body down the hill, there’s also a higher risk of injury from a misstep or overextension (see more on downhill running technique below). The good news: Running downhill will strengthen these joints and muscles over time. Still, if you are new to tackling descents (especially steeper ones) or are prone to lower body joint pain, play it safe. Use the descent as a recovery period and walk it rather than run it.
How to Approach Hills
You’ll use the same basic running technique regardless of whether you’re going up, down or simply cruising along the flats: Keep your torso upright (not hunched or bent over) and stride forward with each foot landing directly under your upper body. Relax your shoulders and allow your arms to swing naturally at roughly a 90-degree angle. That said, there are some small differences when running up or down hills:
- Uphill running technique: Shorten your stride slightly. Much like shifting to a lower (smaller) gear on a bike when going uphill, shift to a “lower gear” when running by taking smaller steps. Also, pick your feet up a bit more than you would if you were running on flat ground–after all, as the hill gradient increases, your foot will meet the ground sooner. Continue to use your arms. A powerful arm swing can help propel you uphill but be sure to adjust your pace to avoid tiring yourself out too quickly. In other words, don’t be afraid to slow down while climbing. You can use your perceived effort level as a guide (for example, at an easy effort level, you should be able to comfortably carry on a conversation with full sentences). Heart rate training is another helpful tool to determine your pacing.
- Downhill running technique: Use a shorter stride length (compared to running flats) to avoid overstressing your ankles, knees, quads, hamstrings and lower back. Be sure to engage your core. While it may feel counterintuitive, keep your upper body centered slightly forward/downhill and resist the urge to lean backward/uphill, since that will leave you with less control of your footing while also putting more stress on your knees. (If you do other downhill sports like skiing, snowboarding or mountain biking, the same logic applies.) If you’re an advanced runner going downhill at a faster clip, you might want to “wing” your arms out, as opposed to keeping your elbows tucked in as you would on flats or when heading uphill, to help with balance. Just be aware of your surroundings—brush, trees, other hikers—while doing so.
- On the trail: When you’re running downhill on an uneven surface like a trail, always be scanning ahead to pick the best path. Also keep an eye out for rocks and dips along the way. It might be tempting to center your gaze on the trail directly beneath your feet. Unfortunately, this doesn’t give your brain enough time to process obstacles like roots or rocks before you reach them. Looking down at your feet may also lead to running with hunched shoulders, which will negatively impact your running efficiency. Instead, shift your gaze farther down the trail, which can help you run more technical terrain more efficiently.
Training Strategies
As mentioned above, incorporating hills into your running workout is compatible with all running training goals; however, how you approach hill training strategies will depend on your personal objectives.
- Starting out: Those new to running up and down hills should begin with smaller hills and/or hills with a gentler grade and take them at a moderate pace—even a pace that feels too slow, say our experts. Avoid adding intensity too quickly. Allowing your body to acclimate to the stress of running up and down hills—or walking up and down hills, if that’s what your body needs—over the course of a few weeks will help to prevent injuries like shin splints, inflamed Achilles tendons, ankle pain and more that could force you to the sidelines for multiple weeks.
- No hills, no problem: You can mimic hilly terrain using a treadmill. Set the incline to 5-8% to prepare for road running or rolling trails. For more mountainous terrain, a grade of 12-15% may better replicate the steepness of the climbs you may encounter. Hiking or jogging up stairs can also provide many of the same benefits of running hills. Use a stair-stepper at the gym or do repeats on a long staircase at a nearby park, in your apartment or office or even on the bleachers of a local stadium.
Hill Workouts
Warm up: Get your muscles ready for the workout ahead with a slow, easy jog for at least 10-20 minutes before your hill workout.
- Uphill strides: Uphill strides are beneficial for runners training for any distance from track events all the way up to ultramarathons. Directions: Choose a hill with a moderate-to-steep grade and run up it for 30 seconds. Gradually increase your pace toward its maximum (90-100% intensity level) over the first 10 seconds, and then sustain it for the remaining 20 seconds for 30 seconds total of effort. Walk back down to the bottom of the hill and wait until your heart rate feels recovered from the effort (about 1-2 minutes). Once you’ve recovered, do your next repetition. Start with 5 sets of these repetitions, and, over time, work your way up to 10 sets.
- Moderate hill repeats: Moderate hill repeats can benefit runners training for distances ranging from the 5K to ultramarathons. Winn calls them “a great all-purpose workout to build muscular strength and endurance.” Directions: Choose a hill with a moderate grade that’s at least a half-mile long. Run uphill for 5-8 minutes at a steady but manageable pace (70% intensity level). Then jog slowly back down to the bottom of the hill. Start with 3 sets of these repetitions. Over time, work your way up to 8 sets.
- Long, sustained climb: Long, sustained climbs are designed to build hill-specific strength and confidence for longer-distance events like marathons or ultramarathons on particularly hilly, mountainous or steep terrain, Winn says. You’ll also build muscular strength and endurance—especially endurance. Directions: Choose a hill with an easy-to-moderate grade that’s two to four miles long. Practice running (or hiking/walking, as needed) at a steady and easy pace (50-60% intensity level) from bottom to top. One set is plenty unless you’re training for a longer, mountainous run with many sustained climbs. If that’s the case, work your way up to multiple sets.
For more insights into training and tools, including how to incorporate workouts into your regimen, read How to Run Faster and How to Choose a Fitness Tracker.
Cool down: As with your warmup, end your hill workout with a slow, very easy, 10-20-minute jog.
Recovery: It's especially important to allow your body time to recover after hard workouts, and in most cases, a hill workout is hard. Immediately after the hill workout, hydrate properly, refuel and stretch, focusing on your hamstrings, glutes and calves. Allowing your body to recover will help you avoid overuse injuries, restore your energy levels and keep your motivation high.
- Before your next workout: Give yourself at least one or two days to recover between hill workouts. Depending on your training goals, you might consider cross training activities like an easy hike or bike ride (see How to Cross-Train for Trail Running). Then again, if you’re serious about putting work in on the hills, use your rest days to actually rest. Avoid off-day activities that will leave you feeling tired when it’s time to get back to the hills.
- Read more on recovery: Runners’ Nutrition Basics, Hydration for Running: A Beginner's Guide, Stretches for Running and Post-Run Recovery Tips from Around the World.
How to Run Hills on Race Day
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a race without any elevation change. Remember these expert tips when the racecourse includes an incline.
Slow down. Whether it’s race-day excitement, jitters or a combination thereof, it’s easy to accidentally tackle a hill too fast. Don’t. Instead, aim to keep your heart rate steady and manageable regardless of whether you’re on flat or uphill terrain, even if that means slowing your pace considerably on the climb. In many cases—especially during trail races—it’s more efficient to walk the up-hills than to try to run them. If you need help moderating your effort on hills, you can wear a heart rate monitor to help ensure your effort level doesn’t surge too high while you’re going up.
Test yourself during training, not on race day. Use your training sessions to experiment with your personal limits on hills. Then stay within those limits on race day until the last push, when it’s time to give it everything you have left in the tank.
