Training for a Ultra advice

sutrra · 31-10-2025 04:33PM #1

Hi, training for a Trail Ultra(Istria 69k) in April , and before that doing the Donadea50 in February.

Better do training for the 50k and finish it under 5 hours, or focus on the Trail Ultra and hope that the required pace will be there in February as my current marathon time is 4:25:34 ( need so shave almost 30 seconds per kilometre to achieve that).

EdMcG · 02-11-2025 07:13AM

Sounds like you're gonna need to train specifically for Donadea so you can get in under the cut off time if that's important to you. I think you can still run Donadea and complete the 50k in over 5hrs but you wont be in the finishing times.Then you need to think about recovery time between the two races. Do you recover quickly? Have you alot of running experience and lots of miles in the legs?

I've no trail experience but Istria looks to have alot of elevation. Would you be hiking alot more than running? Two very different races I imagine and going from a flat 50km to Itstria would probably work out well. Some speed endurance built up in the preparation for Donadea then on to more specific training for Istria.

TheRef · 04-11-2025 10:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427601/training-for-a-ultra-advice

This seems like a massive ask but there should be no reason you can't particpate in both.

I've done Donadea the past 2 years and while there is a 5 hour cut off, you can still finish after. Just that you won't get a time. Going from 4:25 marathon to a 5 hour 50k though is huge, but depending on your background and age, it could be possible, but that kind of assumes you are new to running and would make quick gains. The route there is pretty straightforward and flat, at least until the last couple of loops where everything gets harder. Anyone who ran a marathon in the past few months should have no issues though with proper training in finishing Donadea as its "only" 8k more and the terrain is not much different than running on a road.

The trail would be a different beast entirely and that will require a lot more training, but 15 hours is a lot of time. Are you experienced running on trails? The Run The Line might be a good taster in a couple of weeks…

If it were me, I'd be focusing on the trails at the weekends which will give you the strength and endurance with the occassional long Donadea pace runs thrown in.

Regardless of how well you expect you would do, if you have an opportunity to do both, give them a lash.

sutrra · 13-11-2025 03:48PM

Decided at the end to train for the Istria, and do the Donadea50 as a part of the training block for that. Also will do Art O'Neill pursuit 25k and than next day do the 25k as a block run. Should be a interesting 21 week to get there. Hopefully will mamange it.

My last Ultra season was 2019, did a 110k in Istria, 100 miles in Belfast on the 24 hours race...so have some experiance but it was 6 years ago and from there to now was only road running and didn't do anything on the trails. So thanks for the reply's and hopefully the training blocks will be kind to me.

oinkely · 13-11-2025 04:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123985483#Comment_123985483

me thinks you'll be fine. I'm not quick and find every time i jump up in distance I'm in bits afterwards, but only once. You have done the distance and the elevation in the past so i reckon you will be fine. Enjoy the trails.

Training for a Ultra advice

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