IT’S AN UPHILL GRIND

Kate Dzienis • November 20, 2017

Contributed by Caine Warburton

IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT TRAIL RUNNING AND HILLS GO HAND IN HAND LIKE INSTAGRAM AND HASHTAGS, LONG RUNS AND CHAFE OR TRAIL SHOES AND MUD.

If you want to experience the most beautiful trails and stunning vistas then chances are you are going to have to negotiate some serious hills along the way. However running hills doesn’t always have to be a grind.

With a few tweaks to your technique and some training, you too can be floating uphills like Kilian Jornet…well, sort of anyway!

Body Position

Have you ever seen someone with their head down, bum sticking out, sucking in the big ones on a climb? Well, that’s what not to do. Ideally, you want to lean forward slightly from the ankles keeping a straight line between your shoulders and calves. Keep your head up and avoid looking directly down at your feet. A vision point 1 to 1.5-metres ahead (slightly more if a less steep climb) is best.

Knee Lift

Depending on the hill grade and duration, the ideal knee lift will change. For less steep or short hills (ones you can power up) aim for a high knee lift to generate maximum power. For longer climbs, aim for a small or short knee lift to conserve energy. Generate power from the plyometric forces created through the calves and feet.

Foot Strike

Less heel is ideal. As with most styles of running, a midfoot or forefoot strike is the goal and the steeper the hill, the more you should tend towards forefoot striking. That will allow you to generate those plyometric powers (rebound) through the plantar fascia, achilles and soleus muscles. Additionally, a forefoot strike will minimise your footprint on the ground, helping you negotiate technical trails easier as there will be less pronation/supination (rolling in or out of the foot) during your stride.

Stride Length

As with knee lifts, the ideal stride length will be dictated by the grade, duration and technicality of the hill. A shorter or less steep hill will allow you to use a longer stride in conjunction with a high knee lift, and this will allow you to move up the hill faster, but consequently use a lot of energy. However steep, technical or long, hills require a shorter stride length to conserve energy or negotiate technical sections better.

Hiking v Running

It’s always a contentious point when to switch from running to hiking during a climb. The idea of power hiking is to continue moving as fast as possible uphill while conserving energy and resting the motor patterns used for running. With that in mind, switch from running to hiking when you feel you are using too much energy running for the speed you are generating. At this point, chuck your hands on your knees and power hike the hell out of the climb until you can run again.

How to Train for Hills

There are more than 100 ways to skin a cat, but when it comes to hills, there’s just one to improve – run more hills! To introduce hill sessions to your training plan, first start by adding in one easy pace, hilly run where you focus on just running up and down a series of hills. From here, you can start adding vertical ascent to your long runs and practise hiking when you need to. Lastly, the most effective way to become faster uphill is to conduct hill repetitions/intervals. Start with a 10 to 15 minute warm up, then conduct a series of timed uphill efforts where you run hard, and then focus on form before jogging or walking easily back down to the bottom. Good examples of these are:

– 6 x 3 min hard uphill

– 5 x 5 min hard uphill

– 5 min, 4 min, 3 min, 2 min, 1 min efforts

Remember to always cool down after a session like this with 10 to 15 minutes of easy running.

So next time you are out searching for that vert, or hurting on the hills, give the above tips a go and see how much difference they can make for you. Who knows? There may be a little Kilian Jornet inside all of us!

Happy running!

Pictured: Caine Warburton takes a steep climb at the Buffalo Stampede Ultra.

Caine Warburton ran his first race in the mountains back in 2009, and the following year completed his first ultra marathon with his wife. Now living on the Gold Coast, Caine utilises the mountains, hills and trails daily to improve his performance, and is partnered with Team Salomon, Suunto, and Compressport.

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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