I’ve had a lot of questions about a Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim training plan for the Grand Canyon. Especially one for people that don’t have easy access to elevation gain. So to better help others I’ve put together the training plan a buddy and I used for our R2R2R run in May 2021. Not only did we feel prepared but we did it without poles!
Below is a list of guidelines for the workouts and a template that you can follow. I always tell people it’s important to do what works for you when it comes to scheduling the days. So feel free to modify it but this a great place to start. If you’re looking for general R2R2R info, like trail info, shuttle, water, ect you can click here!
Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim Training Plan – Grand Canyon R2R2R
Feel Runs: Run based on how you are feeling. If you feel fresh and want to push it, push it. Need some rest, run at a recovery pace. Mix in a fartlek and speed work. Have fun with it.
Walking Lunges: Walking lunges are one of the best ways to build both uphill and downhill leg strength. These should be walking lunges, not standing reverse lunges, they work different muscle groups.
Incline Training: Incline training will include hill work with an incline of 1 mile or greater. Work on a treadmill at a 10% incline or greater. Or work on the stair mill. Feel free to combine them to reach your minute target.
Half+ / Full+ Pace: This refers to running at your half marathon or full marathon target pace or slower.
Recovery Pace: This will typically be your full marathon pace place plus 1 min+.
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | |
| Week #1 | Rest Day | 5 Miles Feel | 150 Walking Lunges | 30 Minutes Incline Training | Rest Day (or Cross Training) | 5 Miles Half Pace + | 13.13 Miles Full+ Pace |
| Week #2 | Rest Day | 6 Miles Feel | 300 Walking Lunges | 35 Minutes Incline Training | Rest Day (or Cross Training) | 6 Miles Half Pace + | 14 Miles Full+ Pace |
| Week #3 | Rest Day | 7 Miles Feel | 450 Walking Lunges | 40 Minutes Incline Training | Rest Day (or Cross Training) | 7 Miles Half Pace + | 15 Miles Full+ Pace |
| Week #4 | Rest Day | 4 Miles Feel | 300 Walking Lunges | 30 Minutes Incline Training | Rest Day (or Cross Training) | 5 Miles Half Pace + | 10 Miles Full+ Pace |
| Week #5 | Rest Day | 8 Miles Feel | 600 Walking Lunges | 45 Minutes Incline Training | Rest Day (or Cross Training) | 7 Miles Half Pace + | 16 Miles Full+ Pace |
| Week #6 | Rest Day | 9 Miles Feel | 700 Walking Lunges | 50 Minutes Incline Training | Rest Day (or Cross Training) | 8 Miles Half Pace + | 17 Miles Full+ Pace |
| Week #7 | Rest Day | 10 Miles Feel | 800 Walking Lunges | 55 Minutes Incline Training | Rest Day (or Cross Training) | 9 Miles Half Pace + | 18 Miles Full+ Pace |
| Week #8 | Rest Day | 8 Miles Feel | 500 Walking Lunges | 30 Minutes Incline Training | Rest Day (or Cross Training) | 5 Miles Half Pace + | 10 Miles Recovery |
| Week #9 | Rest Day | 11 Miles Feel | 900 Walking Lunges | 60 Minutes Incline Training | Rest Day (or Cross Training) | 10 Miles Half Pace + | 20 Miles Full+ Pace |
| Week #10 | Rest Day | 12 Miles Feel | 1000 Walking Lunges | 60 Minutes Incline Training | Rest Day | 6 Miles Recovery Pace | 32+ Miles (6,000+ft gain) |
| Week #11 | Rest Day | 6 Miles Recovery | Rest Day | 20 Minutes Incline Training | Rest Day (or Cross Training) | 4 Miles Recovery Pace | 6 Miles Recover Pace |
| Week #12 | Rest Day | Rest Day | Rest Day | 4-6 Miles | Rest Day | 2-4 Miles Recovery Pace | Your R2R2R Run!!! |
Rim to Rim to Rim Training Plan Closing Notes
Every athlete is different. What works for me may not work for you. That said, if you follow this outline you will be in great shape for your Grand Canyon R2R2R attempt. And remember, the most important part of this entire journey is to enjoy the experience. Even at the lowest point of your toughest training day. Soak it in. It will make your accomplishment in the end that much greater. Enjoy the process knowing that it will all be worth it when you’re in the canyon. Enjoy it!
Bryan,
I know it is a silly question, do you have a recommendation to modify this to R2R run?
Not a silly questions at all! For the Rim-to-Rim I would suggest cutting the mileage and lunges by 20% and running a marathon for your long run. So instead on 10 miles, you would do 8 miles ect.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you for the information. I am going to build up to week 1 lunges. ????, and then start the training.
This looks great! I just made my attempt the second week of November & wish I had incorporated lunges (or at least step ups) into my very loose plan. I knew that descending would be a beating, & my plan fell apart because of it. Daylight became a concern so I turned back 15 miles in. I’m going to incorporate your lunge training (& dial back my arrogance) and try again in May 2022.
Broken toe in the spring pushed my attempt from spring to fall. Lunges made a huge difference – descent is still a lot of work, but my legs weren’t rubber at the bottom. Completed R2R2R last week.
Hi Bryan,
Did you use the Salomon “Advance Skin 12” pack for your outing and did it hold everything you needed comfortably?
Thanks for te video!
Cheers!
Hey Lionel! Yes, we both ran in the Advanced Skin 12 Liter. And felt like we had plenty of room overall and the vest performed very well in the hot conditions. It’s great having so many easy access pockets so you can add/remove layers, grab snacks etc.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Did you mean “poles?”
Yes! Sorry about that and thank you for pointing out the mistake.
Hello Bryan,
Thank you for posting this training plan. I followed it in prep for R2R2R and successfully completed it on May 20. The lunges seemed like a ridiculous addition to a plan, but I religiously completed them. Although my brain was fatigued on the final climb out, my legs were ready for it.
The Solomon Advance Skin 12L was also a great suggestion!
Now I need another goal…
Hey Ann!
I’m so glad to hear about your successful R2R2R! And glad I could help in any way I can. There is something magical about that place and the whole experience.
A couple recommendations for your next challenge include the Tetons Crest Trail in Wyoming and the Four Pass Loop in Colorado. Both are incredible. Let me know what you end up choosing next!
Hi Bryan,
Any tips/recommendations for “fueling”/calorie intake during the R2R2R?
Thanks
Alfredo S.
Hey Alfredo! My apologies for the delay, just getting back from running the Presidential Travers in New Hampshire. Great question! I’m a firm believer in taking in a minimum of 100 calories every 45 minutes even if you’re not hungry or every 35 minutes if you’re moving at a higher effort and start feeling hungry before the 45 minute mark. They key is to not get behind. Also I can’t recommend making sure you are getting enough salt and electrolytes. Water isn’t enough.
I like this info aboiut training. Just curious if this training program was intended for hiking R2R2R or running it?
Hey Angela! This program is design for people looking to complete the R2R2R in less than 24 hours. Which means keeping up the pace a bit. Are you hiking the complete R2R2R in one go, or breaking up by camping? I’d be happy to recommend some tips. Our group had a 3 people hiking the trail while we were running and I was involved with their training.
Hey Angela, My apologies for the delay. Not sure how I missed this comment. Based on the response I’ve gotten from people it will really help either way. Although if you are just planning on hiking it, no running, you may beable to cut back the running a bit and just throw in some up tempo walk to help building your hiking speed.
For walking lunges, do you count each leg as a rep or left and right = 1 rep? Just curious mostly. I appreciate the plan!
Great question, each leg lunge counts as one rep. So a lunge with your right leg then left leg would count as two reps. Hope that makes sense!
Hi. Thanks for the inspirational plan. Can you enlighten me on the worst-case scenario — if you aren’t fit enough? I.e., let’s say I go with the intention of R2R, and at the end of R2R (say, R2R completed in 12-15 hours) —- think of doing R2R2R if I feel “good enough”. What could go wrong? Isn’t the worst case, that I’ll just be taking a long time to complete .. i.e., will keep taking rests and moving, or could it get worse than that? I’m trying to understand the limits of the body, and/or the risks involved if the judgement goes wrong.
Sorry for the late reply! Yeah, some people take 30+ hours and just hike the r2r2r. The trick is knowing that while you might feel good going back down, you still have a long climb ahead. There are some emergency shelters dispersed along trail just in case to. But these are worst case. Be safe though, every year people go into the canyon and are life flighted out or worse.
Thank you so much for this! A friend and I are going to attempt R2R2R in mid October. If you don’t mind me asking what is your half+ and full+ pace? I’m going to the start the plan soon. My half+ pace is around 8:00/min mile and I’m trying to roughly gauge how long the R2R2R might take me at my fitness level after I’ve completed training.
If you’re half+ is like 6:00/mile I’ll know 17 hours is out of the question 🙂
Hey Asanka! My half pace is probably around 7:30, but I wouldn’t use that as a judge. I had some cramping issues do to the heat and Kyle busted up his toe which slowed us down probably almost 2 hours. I think 15 hours is a very realistic time frame for most middle of the pack runners if they hydrate and don’t go on 100+ degree day like we did haha
Thank you!
Just completed Four Pass Loop as prep for R2R2R in October. Since you’ve done both I would love your thoughts on how they compare in difficulty. I’m not good at moving fast through Rocky / steep descents (too worried about rolling an ankle
Or falling) – and the altitude killed me. Still got it done but slow speed on descents (and a minor knee strain) meant I got done in 14 hours (2 hours longer than I wanted).
The trails on the R2R2R look far more maintained and runnable for someone like me. And the descents seem easier. Obviously 20 miles longer about 3500 feet more climbing though!
Would love your thoughts on how they compare!
BTW walking lunges have really worked – quads and glutes felt fine all day. Calves are a different story 😂. I’m going to add 500 calf raises 4x a week leading up to R2R2R
Hey Asanka,
Great question and these are two of my favorite trails. But they are very different. Four Pass Loop is more technical overall, is tougher mile for mile and feels more remote.
That said, depending on which way you go on the r2r2r the South Kiabab trail while buffed out, is steep and has some big step downs or ups that can eat your legs. Besides that it’s really how the vert is dispersed. Two big descents and two big climbs. Most people feel really good for the first crossing, but the second descent takes out their legs and start to slow people down. Next is the heat, but thankfully October should be great!
Let me know if you have any other questions, happy to help in any way I can.
~ Bryan
Thanks so much! Really appreciate the blog and advice!