Runners & Workouts: Ruth Croft 4 x 10min Hills (for Fast Ultra Course)

In this space, we will share the key or favorite workouts of our running friends and elites and provide all the Runivores out there some training tips. Run with a smile, of course, but be ready to take on some pain!!

For our first edition, we got a good one from our friend 2022 Western States 100 champion Ruth Croft, who is a podium regular of some of the biggest and toughest international races and really needs no introduction, but I will dish out a little bit of her resume anyways.

-2015 UTMB’s CCC Female, Champion

-The first ever female overall winner in 2016 MSIG HK50

-2016 Matterhorn Ultraks 30km, Female Champion

-2016 North Face Endurance Challenge 50 miler, 3rd place

-2017 Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB, 2nd place

-2018 Speedgoat 50k, Champion

-2021 Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB, Champion

-2021 Ultra Trail Australia by UTMB 50 km, Champion

-2022 Western States 100, Champion

-Adidas and Garmin sponsored runner

Here’s a big workout during her training block:

4 x 10-minute hills

20 minutes warm up.
Find a runnable hill with decent inclination (inclination depends on your own ability).
Run up the hill for 10 minutes (start at a moderate pace and work your way up to about 90% effort. when you get to the top you should be huffing and puffing)
Run down to where you started (use this time to recover)
And do it three more times (total 4 times)
20 minutes cool down.

Tips: You don’t have to run back up to the same spot every set. Just maintain the intensity and 10 minutes for each run up is all you need.

What are the benefits?

It is essentially a longer form of hill repeats to provide a longer work out. Obviously it’s a great endurance and VO2max training. It also tests your mental resolve as it’s quite tough, and many runners often cut the work out short because they don’t want to run back up again. Tough it out, runners!

“The purpose is that it’s a long workout, working on endurance. It is getting your legs used to climbing then descending and having to get turning back over, which imitates a lot of courses, in particular TNF 50 miler, and I used this workout as preparation,” Ruth pointed out.

Please follow Ruth on

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Eating well and training well go together like peas and carrots. Here are the fan-favorite pieces to help you fuel your races, workouts and recovery, as well as some useful tips using energy gels.

The Complete Guide to Fueling (Daily Nutrition, Recovery, Energy Gel Strategy)

The Best Energy Gels for Marathons

What’s an Energy Gel? The Gooey Elixir that Endurance Athletes Can’t Live Without