how to prepare for hills marathon reddit

Quick Scoop

A good way to prepare for a hilly marathon is to train by effort, not pace, and practice running hills often enough that they feel routine rather than surprising. Reddit runners also repeatedly recommend hill repeats, long runs on similar elevation profiles, and strength work for the legs and core.

What runners suggest

“Go by effort” and keep your cadence compact on climbs, rather than trying to force flat-course pace uphill.

Common advice from the thread set includes:

• Add hill repeats once or twice a week, starting with short reps or 20–60 second efforts and building gradually.

• Match your training to the course by doing long runs or tempo runs on routes with similar climb and descent.

• Practice downhill running too, because the eccentric load can wreck your legs if you ignore it.

• Use treadmill incline, stairs, parking garages, or a stair climber if you do not have enough hills nearby.

• Strength-train the glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and core to support the extra load.

Simple training approach

1. Start with one hill session per week. Short repeats with full recovery are a common entry point.

2. Keep easy runs easy, and do not chase pace on climbs; let effort stay controlled.

3. Add one longer run on terrain that resembles the race, including downhill sections.

4. Finish some easy runs with 5 to 8 short hill sprints to build power and efficiency.

5. Pair the running with basic strength work like squats, lunges, calf raises, and single-leg deadlifts.

Race-day mindset

The biggest mental shift is accepting that uphill splits will be slower, which is normal on a hilly course. Many runners focus on steady breathing, small steps, and controlled effort at the bottom of the climb so they can recover faster afterward. That usually works better than attacking the hill hard and paying for it later.

Forum-style takeaway

The overall Reddit consensus is pretty practical: practice hills the way you expect to race them, build leg strength, and avoid overcooking the climbs. If your goal marathon has serious elevation, the safest bet is to make hills a normal part of training rather than a special workout you do once in a while.