Always on the lookout for ways to keep training fresh while taking on new fitness challenges. This hill running workout is meant to push even the most accomplished runner to their limits. And if you’re a beginner looking to build your leg strength this is the perfect place for you to start. Allowing you retest and track your progress over time. So let’s get to it!
The 1,000 Meter Challenge – Hill Running Workout
Based on a workout used by several Sky Running World Champions, the challenge is simple. Reach 1,000 meters of accent and decent in 1 hour (or as fast as you can). The goal is to simulate race conditions so if you are a trail runner, do this on trail. If you’re a road runner, you can run this on a paved surface.
The official 1,000 meter challenge:
- Find a hill – preferably at least 100 meters (328 feet) of accent & decent.
- Achieve 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) of combined accent and decent as fast as you can.
- The goal is to do this in 1 hour or less.
Conclusion
This is not meant to be easy it should push you out of your comfort zone no matter what fitness level you are. Broken in half you’ll need to get in 500 meters (1,640 feet) of gain and then back down in 60 minutes. That’s just over 8 meters or 27 feet of gain per minute for 60 minutes and you still have to get down. It’s completely doable but you really have to push if your trying this on trail.
The other great thing is that it is serves as the perfect base line test of your fitness that you can use to compare later. I plan on doing this every 3 months on the same hill to see where my overall fitness level is at. Hopefully I will see the progress of my training in faster times.
Want to give the 1,000 meter challenge a try? Leave your time in the comments below!
