Running News Daily

Everything to know about adding inclines to training, including how often to tackle them and the best strength moves for prepping your legs.

Running a marathon is a difficult feat in and of itself. Add in a hilly course—like you’ll find in the Big Sur, Boston, New York City, or San Francisco marathons, for example—and that adds a new level of challenging. 

Having just run the Big Sur International Marathon, thanks to an invitation from the Hoka team last month, I learned the importance of incorporating hills into my marathon training cycle from Ben Rosario executive director of the HOKA Northern Arizona Elite in Flagstaff, Arizona, who was also my running coach. 

In order to prepare for the demanding elevation changes of the course, I tackled hills every week of my training. Being that I live in Eastern Pennsylvania with many rolling hills, it wasn’t hard to seek out inclines regularly. 

“You’re going to have a more enjoyable experience on race day, if you hill train throughout your marathon training,” says Rosario, whose advice rang true for me.

On race day, by mile 20, I had had enough of the hills mentally. Despite the breathtaking views of the Pacific ocean in the distance, six more miles still felt like an eternity in my head. However, I reminded myself that physically I had more to give because of the work I’d put into training, especially having pushed through so many tough climbs. I conquered the last 10K that day, and hit my marathon goal. 

So how can you add hills to your own marathon training plan? Can running hills all the time be too much? And what do you do if you don’t have access to hills? To answer these questions, we chatted with expert run coaches to find out their best tips for how to train for hilly marathons.

How Often to Incorporate Hills Into Your Marathon Training Plan

If you live in a hilly area there’s nothing wrong with running hills on your regular runs—it will only help you come race day, Rosario says. “Not the hilliest run you can find necessarily, but there is nothing wrong with having a little bit of up and down in your runs everyday,” he adds. 

If you don’t live in a hilly area, but you’re able to get to some place with hills, adding hills to your runs twice a week is smart, especially if you’re a more seasoned runner who has some base fitness. Incorporating hills into your weekly long run and speed session is a good place to start, Rosario suggests. 

For novice runners taking on a hilly marathon, who have never consistently run hills before, be careful not to take on too much too fast, as you can get injured if you add hills into your training too aggressively or too quickly, says Richelle Weeks, D.P.T., physical therapist, certified run coach, and marathoner in Ottawa, Canada. 

To make sure you don’t overdo it, Weeks advises new runners start with adding hills to one shorter run per week, until you get comfortable with climbing. Then, gradually add distance and more hills over the course of four to six weeks. “This is why I recommend a marathon training session be 20 weeks so there’s plenty of time to introduce hills,” says Weeks. 

She also recommends runners have a comfortable base of running fitness first, before tackling inclines. “Most runners who get injured training for a marathon get their injury in the first month or the last month,” Weeks says. That’s because runners often are upping too many variables at once, like frequency, volume, speed, and hills. “Build frequency and volume first to get a good base. Then add in hills or speed, one at a time,” she adds.

I have a five-mile loop from my home with four big hills involved, so I would always incorporate this loop into my weekend long run, sometimes doubling it as my distance increased over the weeks. In previous marathon training, I mainly stuck to flat paths for longer runs, but knew this wouldn’t help me train for Big Sur. While my times were slower on that loop because of the hills, I did notice the more I ran it, the more efficient I was at covering climbs. 

My weekend long run consisted of, on average, 1,200 feet of elevation gains for my 10- to 15-mile runs, reaching more than 1,500 feet for my 20-miler, which was helpful considering the Big Sur Marathon course features 2,182 feet of elevation gain. 

How to Prep for a Hilly Marathon on a Treadmill if You Don’t Live Near Hills

If you can’t find a hilly route, finding a treadmill with both incline and decline capabilities is the next best thing, says Rosario. For many runners who don’t have access to a treadmill with decline options, Weeks advises strength training to build your quadriceps, which you need strong to tackle tough descents (see moves below).

You can research the elevation changes on the course you’ll run, and simulate that on the treadmill. If you’re doing a 15-mile treadmill run, for example, Rosario suggests plugging in the course inclines based on the elevation changes. For example, if you notice your course has a 6-percent grade at mile nine that stretches for one mile, add that percent and duration into your treadmill workout. 

How to Handle Recovery Runs on Hills

It’s a good idea to keep recovery runs flat and easy during marathon training, as you want your easy runs to stay easy! If that means driving to a flat path or track, and you have the time, certainly do so, Rosario says. 

If you can’t get to a flatter area, it’s okay to have those hills on your easy runs, with one caveat: Accept that you’ll really slow down your pace. “If you’re doing a recovery run, make sure you keep it easy, and if that means stopping and walking to go up the hills to keep your heart rate low and to make it feel like a relaxed run, then walk up the hills,” says Weeks. 

For example, I ran some of the steeper hills on my recovery runs at a 10- to 12-minute mile pace, while my typical recovery pace is about a nine-minute mile. This strategy of adding hills to my recovery runs actually helped throughout the race. When the hills got long and taxing toward the end of the Big Sur course, I reminded myself to find my recovery pace and settle into it, so I could make it through the hills and feel strong for the subsequent miles.

The Garmin Forerunner 265S helped me maintain a lower effort on recovery runs, as I could keep an eye on my pace and heart rate, making sure I wasn’t exerting too much effort.

What to Do About Speed Workouts When Prepping for a Hilly Marathon

A mistake many runners make when it comes to training for a hilly marathon is tackling their hard workouts—like mile repeats or tempo runs—on the track or flat path that they’re comfortable with, Rosario says. The reason that’s an issue is because you’re not training your leg muscles to handle the demands of running hills at a harder effort.

Hill-based workouts ask more of the quads and calves and better prepare you for race day, Rosario adds, which is why speed workouts are precisely where you should incorporate hills. Just remember: “Hilly loops aren’t as cut and dry as training on a track,” he says, meaning your times are going to vary more as you run uphill and downhill, rather than sticking with a specific pace. 

If you’re doing a speed session with hills, pay attention to your effort instead of pace, Rosario says, and give the workout the same effort you would on the track. For example, if you’re doing mile repeats with hills at threshold, instead of focusing on trying to hit a specific time, focus on maintaining about a 6 to 7 on the RPE scale (that’s a hard effort, but you can still say a few words). 

Repeating the same hilly loop over and over again for those repeats will also help you see how you’re improving.

How to Strength Train for a Hilly Marathon

On average, two strength workouts a week is a good goal for most runners looking to prepare for a hilly marathon, says Weeks. Those workouts can include both uphill and downhill strength movements in each session. 

“In the classic hilly marathons like Boston and Big Sur, it’s the quads that are beat to shreds after the race,” says Rosario. That’s why it’s important to incorporate strength moves to build up the quads so they can withstand the impact.

If you’re a lower mileage runner (around 30 or fewer miles per week), you can do strength work on non-running days. High mileage runners who do two or more speed sessions per week and a long run would benefit from keeping their easy days easy and hard days hard. So Weeks suggests pairing strength work with speed days.

Form Tips for Running Hills in a Marathon

Downhills are more dangerous than the uphills, say Rosario, because they cause us to run in a way that is less efficient. “When we run up a hill, there’s no way to get up it except fairly efficiently,” he says. “You’re running in a way that’s as close to perfect [form] as possible [on the uphill].”

That said, you still want to focus on solid running form when going up an incline. Think about running with a tall posture (avoid dropping your head and shoulders), a forward lean from the ankles, and avoid overstriding by keeping your foot strike underneath you. Also, use your glutes to push off and offer power.

When running downhill, runners tend to land hard on their heels, which sends a lot of shock through and up the kinetic chain—from the heel to the legs and hips—which causes eventual soreness postrace because the body is having to violently absorb all that shock, Rosario says. 

Allow your feet to land closer to the hips, as opposed to way out in front of you in an overstride, as this creates a more gentle impact on the body, Weeks adds.

What runners need to practice, Rosarios says, is letting gravity do the work on the downhill. “You don’t want to bomb down the hill out of control, but you also don’t want to put on the brakes. You want to run as smoothly as possible down the hill,” he says. “It’s that medium effort that you want to find [running downhills] which takes time to learn and practice.”

As for accomplishing your hilly marathon: Give yourself grace, flexibility, plenty of time to train, and learn the marathon course you’ll run as best you can before race day. Marathons with a lot of inclines aren’t for the faint of heart, but now having raced one, I can say I’m proud I accomplished it. Afterall, American novelist and poet Jack Kerouac, who spent time living in a cabin at Big Sur in the 60s and traveling the United States wrote: “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in an office or mowing the lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” In this case, just run it, for as long as you can. 

 

The prospect of seeing one of athletics' biggest stars back on the track is growing stronger, with Jakob Ingebrigtsen reportedly targeting a return to competition later this summer following his recovery from Achilles tendon surgery.

According to comments made by his agent, Daniel Wessfeldt, in an interview with Norwegian media, the double Olympic champion could make his long-awaited comeback at one of three major European meetings in July. The leading options under consideration are the Monaco Diamond League on July 10, the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix on July 14, and the London Diamond League on July 18.

For athletics fans, the possibility of Ingebrigtsen lining up in London would add another layer of excitement to an already highly anticipated Diamond League meeting. The Norwegian middle-distance sensation has become one of the sport's most dominant figures in recent years, collecting Olympic, world and European titles while consistently rewriting record books.

His 2026 campaign was put on hold after he underwent surgery on his Achilles tendon earlier this year, forcing him to focus on rehabilitation rather than competition. Since then, questions have surrounded when the 24-year-old would be ready to return to racing.

The latest update suggests that decision will largely depend on how his training progresses over the coming weeks. If recovery continues according to plan, July could mark the beginning of his return to elite competition ahead of the latter stages of the season.

A comeback at either Monaco, Budapest or London would immediately place Ingebrigtsen back among the sport's biggest storylines. Each meeting is renowned for producing world-class performances, and any appearance by the Norwegian would attract significant attention from fans eager to see how quickly he can regain top form after his injury setback.

While no final decision has been confirmed, the signs are increasingly positive. After months away from competition, Jakob Ingebrigtsen appears to be edging closer to a return, with London's Diamond League meeting emerging as one of the most intriguing possibilities on his road back to the track.

Should his recovery continue smoothly, athletics could soon welcome back one of its brightest and most influential stars.

What should have been the defining moment of Emad Bashir-Mohammed's young running career instead turned into one of the most talked-about controversies in American road racing this year.

The 23-year-old crossed the finish line first in the men's citizen's race at the prestigious Bolder Boulder 10K on Memorial Day in Colorado, stopping the clock at an impressive 29:50. His performance was not only a commanding victory but also one of the fastest winning times ever recorded in the event's long and celebrated history. Bashir-Mohammed finished eight seconds clear of his nearest challenger and appeared to have secured a breakthrough triumph.

For nearly two hours, he was the undisputed winner.

Then everything changed.

Race officials announced that Bashir-Mohammed had been disqualified after determining that he had started in the wrong wave. According to Bolder Boulder regulations, he had been assigned to the AA wave but lined up with the faster A wave, which began earlier. Event rules allow runners to move backward into a slower wave, but prohibit athletes from advancing into a faster one.

As a result, Bashir-Mohammed's victory was erased from the record books.

The citizen's title was subsequently awarded to Nickolas Scudder, who crossed the line second in 29:58. The promotion handed Scudder back-to-back citizen's race victories, while Bashir-Mohammed was left to grapple with the disappointment of losing a win he believed he had earned on the road.

The disqualification has since ignited widespread debate across the running community.

Bashir-Mohammed maintains that he did not intentionally violate the rules. He claims that after collecting his AA bib, he spoke with race personnel and was permitted to start with the A wave after presenting evidence of his recent performances. In a statement shared after the race, he expressed frustration over the decision, arguing that his goal was simply to compete against the strongest field available and produce the fastest time possible.

Race organizers, however, stood firmly behind their ruling. Officials stated that wave-assignment regulations are clearly communicated in pre-race information and reiterated during packet collection. They also noted that hundreds of participants are disqualified each year for moving into faster start groups, emphasizing that consistent enforcement is necessary to maintain fairness for all competitors.

The incident has divided opinion among runners and fans alike. Some believe the rules must be applied equally regardless of an athlete's finishing position, arguing that wave assignments are a fundamental part of race organization. Others feel the punishment is harsh, particularly if Bashir-Mohammed genuinely received approval to move up before the start.

What remains undisputed is the quality of his performance. On the roads of Boulder, Bashir-Mohammed demonstrated the fitness and speed required to outrun the field by a significant margin. Yet in road racing, crossing the finish line first is only part of the equation. Compliance with race regulations carries equal weight.

For Bashir-Mohammed, the day will be remembered as a painful lesson in the fine margins that can define elite competition. A remarkable run delivered a memorable victory, but a dispute over wave placement ultimately overshadowed the achievement, leaving behind a controversy that continues to fuel discussion throughout the running world.

A fast race, a costly administrative error, and a debate that may linger long after the finish-line tape has been packed away.

The men's 100 metres at the 2026 Rome Diamond League is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated sprint races of the season, with an exceptional field featuring some of the fastest men in the world.

Scheduled for Thursday, June 4, at the iconic Stadio Olimpico in Rome, the race will bring together reigning stars, established champions and emerging talents in a contest that promises fireworks from the moment the gun goes off.

Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala headlines a world-class lineup that includes American sprint sensation Noah Lyles, Botswana's Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, Jamaica's explosive Ackeem Blake, South Africa's ever-consistent Akani Simbine and Italy's hometown hero Lamont Marcell Jacobs. With personal bests ranging from 9.77 to 9.97 seconds, the field is packed with athletes capable of producing something special on the Diamond League stage.

Omanyala, the African record holder with a blistering personal best of 9.77 seconds, arrives in Rome eager to continue his strong early-season form and prove he can challenge the very best on the global circuit. The Kenyan star has built a reputation as one of the fastest starters in world sprinting and will be looking to make a statement against an elite field.

Standing in his way is world champion Noah Lyles, whose personal best of 9.79 seconds places him among the fastest athletes in history. The American remains one of the sport's biggest attractions and will be determined to add another Diamond League victory to his impressive résumé.

The race also marks a major test for Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo. The Botswanan star has rapidly become one of athletics' most exciting talents, while Ackeem Blake continues to establish himself as a serious contender on the international sprint scene.

Adding further intrigue is the presence of Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs. Competing on home soil, the Tokyo Olympic champion will enjoy passionate local support as he seeks to deliver a memorable performance in front of the Roman crowd.

South Africa's Akani Simbine, Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme, Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu and rising American talent Jordan Anthony complete a field that boasts remarkable depth and quality.

Men's 100m Entry List – Rome Diamond League 2026

Ferdinand Omanyala (Kenya) – PB: 9.77

Noah Lyles (USA) – PB: 9.79

Lamont Marcell Jacobs (Italy) – PB: 9.80

Akani Simbine (South Africa) – PB: 9.82

Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) – PB: 9.86

Ackeem Blake (Jamaica) – PB: 9.88

Jordan Anthony (USA) – PB: 9.91

Emmanuel Eseme (Cameroon) – PB: 9.96

Jeremiah Azu (Great Britain) – PB: 9.97

With multiple national record holders, global champions and Olympic medal contenders sharing the same start line, the Rome Diamond League men's 100m could deliver one of the fastest races of the year. For sprint fans around the world, all eyes will be on Rome as a stellar cast battles for supremacy over athletics' blue-riband distance.

Audrey Werro announced her arrival as one of the early stars of the 2026 outdoor season with a commanding victory in the women’s 800 metres at the Rabat Diamond League, producing a performance that exceeded even her own expectations.

The Swiss middle-distance talent surged to victory in a brilliant 1:56.56, breaking the meeting record and delivering one of the fastest times recorded worldwide this season. In a race packed with quality, Werro displayed exceptional composure, confidence, and finishing strength to separate herself from the field and stamp her authority on the event.

What made the performance even more remarkable was the athlete's surprise at the level she had already reached so early in the campaign.

"I was not expecting such a strong start to the season," Werro admitted after the race.

The race unfolded at a relentless pace, but Werro remained perfectly positioned throughout. As the athletes approached the bell lap, she glanced at the clock and immediately sensed something special was within reach.

"When I saw the time at the bell, I felt really confident," she said. "I'm really happy with the Meeting Record and looking forward to the rest of the season."

Her confidence proved justified. Maintaining her rhythm over the final 400 metres, Werro powered down the home straight to secure the victory and rewrite the Rabat meeting record books in the process.

The performance sends an early warning to her rivals ahead of a season that promises major championships and high-profile Diamond League battles. Beyond the record-breaking time, Werro's display highlighted her growing maturity as a racer, combining tactical awareness with impressive speed and endurance.

With the outdoor season only beginning, the 1:56.56 clocking suggests that even faster times could be on the horizon. If Rabat is any indication, Audrey Werro may be poised for the biggest season of her career.

Her emphatic victory in Morocco was more than just another Diamond League win—it was a statement of intent from an athlete determined to challenge the world's best throughout 2026.

The city of Boston is set to welcome back one of its most celebrated champions as Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi headlines a world-class field for the 2026 B.A.A. 10K presented by Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute on June 21.

Fresh from another remarkable victory at the Boston Marathon in April, Lokedi returns to the streets of Boston and Cambridge carrying both momentum and confidence as she aims to defend the title she captured in dominant fashion last year.

The two-time Boston Marathon champion has developed a special connection with the historic race city. In 2025, she produced a course-record performance of 2:17:22 to win the Boston Marathon before returning this year to claim another victory in 2:18:51, the second-fastest winning time in the event’s storied history. Her success has cemented her status as one of the premier road runners in the world.

Lokedi will be making her first competitive appearance since her marathon triumph and arrives as the reigning B.A.A. 10K champion after clocking 31:39 over the challenging 6.2-mile course in 2025.

“Boston has become a very special place for me,” Lokedi said ahead of the race. “The atmosphere created by the fans and the community is unlike anywhere else. I’m excited to return and give everything I have to defend my title.”

The women’s race promises to be highly competitive. American Olympian Rachel Smith, who finished second at the Boston 5K in April, leads the domestic challenge. Kenya’s strong contingent includes African 10,000m champion Gladys Kwamboka, former B.A.A. 10K runner-up Stacy Ndiwa, and experienced road racer Viola Cheptoo. British Olympian Jessica Warner-Judd adds further international depth to a field packed with proven performers.

The men’s race is equally impressive, featuring elite athletes from 13 nations.

Ethiopia’s Dawit Seare enters as one of the leading contenders after capturing the 2025 Boston 5K title and bringing the fastest 10K personal best in the field at 27:21. Kenya will be represented by an accomplished group led by Alexander Mutiso, winner of the 2024 London Marathon and runner-up at last year’s New York City Marathon.

Patrick Kiprop also arrives in outstanding form after securing victory at the prestigious BolderBoulder 10K on Memorial Day, while Alex Masai returns looking to continue his strong record in Boston. Masai recently finished ninth at the Boston Marathon and has earned three top-ten finishes at the B.A.A. 10K.

Among the international stars making their mark is South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt, who makes his race debut after an impressive season highlighted by victory at the NYC Half Marathon in 59:30. Ethiopia’s Olympic bronze medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet adds further quality to the field, bringing a wealth of championship experience and previous success in Boston.

Canadian national 10K champion Andrew Alexander, two-time U.S. Olympian Hillary Bor, marathon standout Ryan Ford, and reigning USA 25K champion Andrew Colley complete a field stacked with talent and depth.

With defending champions, Olympic finalists, national champions and rising stars all converging on Boston, the 2026 B.A.A. 10K is shaping up to be one of the most competitive editions in recent memory. For Sharon Lokedi, however, the mission is simple: return to the city where she has repeatedly excelled and add another memorable chapter to her growing Boston legacy.