COACH’S CORNER – THE KNOW HOW OF EASY UP HILL RUNNING

Kate Dzienis • June 27, 2018

Contributed by Nick Muxlow, Run Coach at The Ultra Journey and Author (SA)
Nick Muxlow is a Level 2 Intermediate Recreational Running Coach, accredited with Athletics Australia. He is an ultra-marathon coach, runner and author of “Journey to 100 – How To Run Your First 100km Ultramarathon and Love It”. Nick has competed in seven Ironman races, has won both the State Trail Championships and State Ultramarathon Championships, and finished UTA 100k in under 11.5 hours on his first attempt.

Runners often dread the uphills, but this certainly doesn’t need to be the case. The first thing you need to do is accept the hill and accept that regardless of your running ability, you are going to run slower when running uphill. Just because you slow down doesn’t mean that you are not becoming a better runner through hill running. In fact, hills are great at training your runner physiology.

In addition to staying relaxed when running uphills, there are two key points that we need to understand – cadence and stride length.

Just as a bike has gears, so do you, and they come in the form of your stride length. If you were to put your bike in a hard gear whilst trying to ride up a hill, you would find that your cadence (how quickly your legs are spinning when cycling or how often they are striking the ground per minute when running) would be really low.

A low cadence places a huge demand on your musculoskeletal system; you need a great deal of strength. However, riding in such a fashion will not tax your cardiovascular system. If you ride up the hill again, but this time select the easiest gear possible, you will find that your cadence will be high. Your cardiovascular system will become ‘maxed out’ but your muscles – your musculoskeletal system – will not be working very hard. Exactly the same principles apply to running.

So, how do we do it? We need to find balance.

As we need to aim to keep our cadence when running at around 90 strides per minute, we find this balance by changing our stride length. As such, when running up hill your stride length will be much shorter than when running on the flat. Finding this balance will allow you to equally tax your cardiovascular system as well as your musculoskeletal system thus allowing you to be as efficient and effective as possible when tackling the hill.

Depending on steepness and your ability, there can be a point when it’s better to power hike. The point at which this occurs is different for everyone, but it occurs when the cardiovascular effort required becomes exceedingly high despite having a short stride. It’s hard work and you are going nowhere!

At this point, movement up the hill becomes faster and more efficient with a power hike, and there is a technique you should use. Leaning forward at the waist and putting your hands on your knees will allow you to transfer your body weight from leg to leg to help ‘power’ you up hill. It’s important to remember to not drop your head while you bend at the waist, as this impedes your breathing and is counterproductive.

There is an exception – the short hill. Its length may allow you to tackle it in a completely different fashion; you may find that you increase your speed, and consequently your momentum, prior to getting to the bottom of a short hill. This then transitions to an increase in stride length as you power up to the top, almost sprinting up the hill before returning to your previous running pace upon completion of the hill.

Next time you’re out running in the hills, have a play around with how you’re running. Try a period with a lower cadence, how does that feel? Try a period with a higher cadence, how does that feel? Try powerwalking with the technique mentioned above. And lastly, find the sweet spot or balance between the two and enjoy the hill.

The key parts that we need to take away are as follows:

Relax and enjoy the hill
Just as a bike has gears so do you, use these to your advantage, find the sweet spot
High cadence taxes your cardiovascular system more
Low cadence taxes your musculoskeletal system more
Just because you are going slowly doesn’t mean you’re not gaining amazing fitness benefits
Have fun, because as they say, what goes up must come down!

Get in touch with Nick through The Ultra Journey website to get personalised training plans and coaching, and take The Ultra Runners Quiz to learn where your focus areas are.

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Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2027

By Jin Kato • July 8, 2026

The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater