If you’ve asked yourself this question and found yourself on this page, Looped can answer your queries

Firstly, let’s define an ultramarathon, as it’s often a grey area.

Technically, an ultramarathon is any race distance over and beyond a marathon. This results in a vast category that ranges from 27 miles to 250+ miles.

You usually find races in the following distances: 50km, 50 miles, 100km, 125km, 100 miles, 200 miles. Equally, you’ll find a smattering of random distances, or even that the ‘100’ mile race you entered is actually 105 miles.

Essentially, ultras vary from marathons in that in a marathon, time is everything. It’s a universal standard distance of 26.2 miles – even if elevation can vary wildly from race to race – but often, runners will run the entire distance, for 3 to 4 hours, at a rapid pace, simmering under lactate threshold, which is a huge effort that takes a significant toll on your body.

Ultras, meanwhile, are rarely about personal bests. They’re a completely different beast. It’s about the experience, the adventure, discovering what you’re capable of.

The pace is aerobic for long periods so that you can go the distance, and you’re power-hiking the ascents. There’s the opportunity to stop regularly and refuel. You can use running poles. You carry a lot of kit on your back. A totally different experience, and this is partly the reason more runners than ever before are trying ultras – in North America in 2024, 42,039 finishers out of 147,008 people – 29% – who completed ultra races were first-timers.

So if you’re an ultrarunner, or you’re considering your first ultramarathon, you might be wondering if you need a coach.

After all, running’s just running, right? It’s simply putting one foot in front of the other. What could be more straightforward?

Here are 8 reasons why Looped Run Coaching can help you decide if you need an ultramarathon coach:

1. A coach adds structure to your training

Are you currently following no set routine, just stepping out the door on runs without a set purpose? Looped can help you train intentionally by taking your target race and creating a programme based on your own specific individual goals.

There’s no AI here – each session is designed for a purpose, forming an overall plan that will get you to the start line fully prepared, both physically and mentally, for your A race.

2. Helps avoid injury

AI-manufactured training plans are all well and good until the volume and/or intensity become too much, and before you know it a small niggle turns into a major injury that sidelines you from training or, worse, the race itself.

Looped works with you on plans that progress in distance/time per week so that you don’t do too much too soon. I also monitor your sessions on Training Peaks, evaluate your all-important session workout feedback and data to dial up or down future sessions based on where your current fitness is.

3. Is flexible and customisable

Life gets busy in your 30s, 40s and beyond – work life, family life, kids’ clubs, school, social life… fitting your training in is often more of a challenge than the race itself.

I can help design your plan around your life, changing it to your specific needs. Travelling for work? I can change your programme. Every fortnight I update your plan so you can see what’s coming, and discuss with you how it’s all fitting in around your commitments.

4. Provides accountability

Seeing your day’s run session on Training Peaks, or your GPS watch, gives you more motivation to get out the door (or on to the treadmill). But knowing your coach is checking your progress is even more motivating.

I can help pick you up after a disappointing session, push you up a level if you feel good and celebrate every race success with you.

5. Face-to-face motivation and pacing

If you require more than your watch bleeping at you during sessions, and you live in the south of the UK, I can come to you to accompany you through tough sessions, ensuring you hit target pace as your motivation dips.

I can also pace you through the race itself if you require extra motivation, staying alongside you whether it’s a marathon, 50k or 100-mile race*.

6. Progression to goal

How much should you increase mileage per week? How much intensity should you be doing 20 weeks out from your race? Why is everyone talking about ‘zone 2’ and do I really need to do so much? Three-week taper? Two-week taper? One week taper? No taper??

I can help guide you through the minefield of advice out there and provide guidance on what you should and shouldn’t be doing at each period of training.

*All-weather running during Hardwolds 80 when poor shoe choice with limited grip led to a knee injury = me walking the last 8 miles.*

7. Advice from mistakes I made

I’ve been through it all over 25 years of endurance running – horrendous weather, trench foot, navigation errors, nutrition howlers, nausea, kit mistakes, pacing fails, drop bag disasters…

Any worries or concerns you have above and beyond the training plan I can help with – my experience in mountain races from UTMB, CCC and Lavaredo, to shorter, quicker ultras from the likes of Maverick, EnduranceLife and Threshold as well as road marathons, cross country and track racing means I’m well-placed to provide balanced advice.

8. Stops you overtraining

If there’s no one to monitor and adjust your training, how do you know if you’re doing too much? Who is there to tell you that third interval session of the week is probably not a good idea?

Usually, the signs of overtraining are clear: motivation plummets, you enter a phase of severe malaise and fatigue, your immune system drops its defences and the worst sign of all – you pick up an injury.

Due to Looped’s individual, constantly evolving training plans, which progress based on your fitness and target, as well as building in easier ‘deload’ weeks and regular communication with me, means the risk of overtraining is much lower.

If any of this strikes a chord with you, fill in the enquiry form, and we can chat through what Looped Run Coaching can offer you to help you train towards your ultrarunning targets.

*This service is a bolt-on to the regular coaching

Do you need an ultramarathon coach?