How to Plan Your 2027 Trail Running Season

Plan your 2027 trail running season: lottery and entry windows, choosing and spacing races, training blocks for the year, and fitting it around your life.

The best time to plan a trail running season is before the lottery windows close, and for 2027 that means now. Many of the big mountain races and 100-milers run their draws between November and February, popular European races sell out within hours of opening, and an A-race in September needs training to start in May at the latest.

This guide walks through planning your 2027 season in six steps: an honest look at where you are, choosing races and spacing them, laying out training blocks across the year, fitting them around the rest of your life, strength work, and checking progress as you go.

Step 1: Take stock and set goals for 2027

Start with an honest baseline. Look at the last 8 to 12 weeks of training, not your best month from last year:

• Weekly volume and climbing: average distance and vertical gain per week.
• Long run: the longest run you have done recently, and how you felt afterwards.
• Injuries: anything that keeps coming back, and what set it off.
• Time: how many hours a week you can train in a normal week, and in a busy one.

Then set one to three goals you can measure and put a date on. Specific, hard-but-reachable goals improve performance more than vague ones like "do my best" (Locke and Latham, 2002). For example:

• "Finish my first 50K trail race by September 2027."
• "Climb 1,500m in a single training run by June."
• "Race three times between April and October without missing more than a week to injury."

Give each race a priority. One A-race is the goal the whole season is built around. One or two B-races matter but are not the focus. C-races are supported training runs or just for fun.

Step 2: Choose your races and space them

Your A-race

• Allow 12 to 20 weeks of focused training before it, more for 100-milers.
• Pick a distance and profile that stretches you by about 20 to 30% beyond what you have done, not double.
• Check the logistics: travel, altitude, likely weather in that month.
• Check entry rules now. Some races need qualifying results from the previous year, and many run lotteries in winter.

Entry windows to put in your calendar

For races in 2027, most big lotteries and sign-ups happen between November 2026 and February 2027. Dates change each year, so check each race's site, but expect:

• Western States 100: lottery in early December, with qualifying races needed during the prior window.
• Hardrock 100: lottery in early December, with a qualifying run required.
• UTMB Mont-Blanc races (UTMB, CCC, OCC and others): pre-registration and lottery in winter, with a valid UTMB Index and Running Stones. Our UTMB lottery guide explains how the draw works.
• Popular European races such as Lavaredo and Zegama-Aizkorri: registration or lotteries through the winter; some fill within minutes.

If you do not get into your first-choice race, have a second race with a similar date and profile ready so your training plan does not change.

How far apart to space races

Muscle damage and the loss of strength after a long mountain race take days to weeks to clear. After an extreme mountain ultra, runners had lost around a third of their leg strength at the finish (Millet et al., 2011), and it takes weeks of easy running to rebuild. As a rule of thumb:

Use C-races 4 to 8 weeks before your A-race as supported long runs, ideally on similar terrain.

Two example 2027 calendars

Aiming for a first 50K

• April: 25km trail race (C-race, season opener)
• June: 35km mountain race (B-race, fitness check)
• September: 50K (A-race)
• November: 20km fun run (C-race)

Aiming for a competitive 100K

• March: 30km early-season race (C-race)
• May: 50K (B-race)
• July: 100K (A-race)
• October: 65km mountain race (B-race)

Step 3: Lay out your training blocks

Work backwards from your A-race. Each block has a job:

Base (8 to 12 weeks). Build aerobic volume, strength and tissue tolerance. Most running easy (80 to 85% of it in Zones 1 and 2), one long run a week of 2 to 4 hours, strength training twice a week. Increase volume by about 10% at a time, with an easier week every third or fourth week. A typical base week for a 50K runner: 4 to 5 runs, 50 to 70km, 1,500 to 2,500m of climbing.

Build (6 to 10 weeks). Keep volume near the top of base and add race-specific work: tempo runs, hill repeats, long runs on terrain like your race. Roughly 15 to 20% of weekly time at Zones 3 and 4. A typical build week: 5 to 6 runs, 60 to 80km, 2,000 to 3,000m of climbing.

Peak and taper (3 to 5 weeks). Your biggest sessions come early in this block, then volume falls over the final two weeks while some intensity stays. A taper that cuts volume by 41 to 60% and keeps intensity works best (Bosquet et al., 2007).

Recovery (2 to 4 weeks after the A-race). Easy running, hiking, cross-training, rest days. No structure. Come back to base training only when you want to run again, not just when the calendar says so.

A sample year for a September A-race

Our trail running training plan guide covers how to build each week inside these blocks, and how long each block should be for different race distances.

Easier weeks every three or four

Three weeks of rising load, then one lighter week, is the pattern most coaches use. For example:

Step 4: Plan around the rest of your life

Before you fill in training, block out what you already know about 2027:

• Busy periods at work and work travel
• Holidays, weddings and school breaks
• The months your local weather makes trails hard to use (deep snow, summer heat)

Then match the plan to them. Put easier weeks in the busiest work periods. Put recovery weeks around big family events. Leave one or two "floating" easy weeks you can drop in when life goes sideways. If winter or summer weather limits the trails, plan for treadmill incline work, stairs or cross-training rather than hoping.

Step 5: Keep strength training all year

In a meta-analysis of injury prevention trials across sports, strength training programmes cut injuries to about a third (Lauersen et al., 2014). For trail runners it also protects the quads on long descents.

Cycling, swimming, hiking and ski touring or Nordic skiing all keep aerobic fitness up with less impact, and are useful in easier weeks, around niggles and in bad weather.

Step 6: Check progress and adjust

Once a month, look back at the last four weeks:

• Did you complete about 80% or more of planned sessions?
• Are you recovering between hard sessions?
• How do familiar routes and climbs feel at the same effort?
• Any new aches that are not going away?
• Do you still want to train?

Ease off if fatigue lasts more than three days, your resting heart rate is 5 to 10 beats above normal for several mornings, familiar routes feel harder, or soreness lingers.

Push on if hard sessions feel easier than expected and you recover within a day.

Change the goal if your available time changes a lot, an injury takes you out for several weeks, or the goal turns out to be clearly too easy or too hard.

Log distance, climbing, time, heart rate and how hard each run felt, plus sleep and stress. Trailia, Strava, TrainingPeaks and Garmin Connect all work for this. Trailia also builds your plan from your A-race date and adjusts the weeks ahead when your logged training shows you are ahead of or behind schedule.

Key takeaways

• Plan your 2027 season now: many lotteries and sign-ups run from November 2026 to February 2027.
• Pick one A-race, one or two B-races and a few C-races, and space them by distance.
• Work backwards from the A-race through base, build, peak and taper, with an easier week every three or four.
• Plan around work, family and weather before you fill in the training.
• Keep strength training all year and check progress monthly.

Citations

• Bosquet, L., Montpetit, J., Arvisais, D., & Mujika, I. (2007). Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(8), 1358-1365.
• Lauersen, J. B., Bertelsen, D. M., & Andersen, L. B. (2014). The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(11), 871-877.
• Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: a 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705-717.
• Millet, G. Y., Tomazin, K., Verges, S., et al. (2011). Neuromuscular consequences of an extreme mountain ultra-marathon. PLoS ONE, 6(2), e17059.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should I plan my trail running season?

Ideally, begin planning your season 3-6 months before it starts. For a 2027 season beginning in spring, start planning in autumn 2026, before the winter lottery windows. This timeline allows you to research and register for popular races (which often sell out months in advance), establish baseline fitness, and structure your training phases appropriately. However, it's never too late to create a plan. Even mid-season planning helps organize remaining races and training blocks.

How many races should I target in a trail running season?

For most runners, 3-6 races per season provides optimal balance between racing and training. Designate one A-race (primary goal), 1-2 B-races (important secondary goals), and 2-3 C-races (training runs or fun events). More races increase injury risk and prevent adequate recovery, while too few may not provide sufficient race experience or motivation throughout the season.

What is periodization and why does it matter for trail runners?

Periodization is the systematic organization of training into distinct phases with specific objectives, typically base (building aerobic foundation), build (adding intensity), peak (race-specific preparation), and recovery phases. Each phase targets different physiological systems, allowing your body to progress safely toward peak performance.

How much recovery time do I need between trail races?

Recovery needs vary by race distance and intensity. Allow minimum 4-6 weeks between 50km races, 6-10 weeks between 100km events, and 10-16 weeks after 100+ mile races. Shorter races (25-35km) require 3-4 weeks minimum. These periods allow muscle damage to heal, inflammation to resolve, and performance capacity to fully restore. Inadequate spacing increases injury risk and prevents optimal performance at subsequent races.

Should I strength train during my trail running season?

Yes. Year-round strength training is essential for trail runners. During base phases, complete 2-3 strength sessions weekly focusing on maximum strength and injury prevention. Reduce to 1-2 maintenance sessions during build and peak phases. In a meta-analysis of injury prevention trials, strength training programmes cut sports injuries to about a third (Lauersen et al., 2014).

How do I balance training with work and family commitments?

Start by mapping 2027 commitments (work travel, family events, busy seasons) before structuring training phases. Schedule lower-volume weeks during high-stress periods, plan recovery phases around major life events, and build "floating" easy weeks for unexpected demands. The 3:1 training ratio (three progressive weeks, one recovery week) provides built-in flexibility. Remember that consistency matters more than perfection: completing 80% of planned training with proper recovery beats attempting 100% and burning out.

What should I do if I get injured during my planned season?

Address injuries immediately with rest and professional evaluation if pain persists beyond 3-5 days. Depending on severity and timing, you may need to modify your A-race goal, shift to a B-race as your new primary target, or postpone major goals to later in the season or next year. Use injury recovery time for cross-training (swimming, cycling) to maintain fitness while healing. Remember that smart adjustment prevents minor setbacks from becoming season-ending injuries.

How long should my peak training phase last before an A-race?

For most trail runners, 12-20 weeks of focused preparation is optimal for A-races. This includes 8-12 weeks of base building, 4-6 weeks of race-specific build work, and 2-3 weeks of taper. Shorter races (25-35km) may require only 8-12 weeks total, while 100km+ ultras benefit from 16-20 weeks. The key is allowing sufficient time to build volume gradually, add intensity progressively, and taper adequately without rushing or overtraining.

What are the signs that my training plan needs adjustment?

Watch for persistent fatigue lasting more than 3 days, elevated resting heart rate (5-10 bpm above normal), declining performance on familiar routes, increased injury susceptibility, or loss of motivation. These indicate inadequate recovery and require volume reduction. Conversely, if workouts feel consistently easy and recovery is rapid, you may need to increase intensity. Conduct monthly check-ins evaluating training consistency, fatigue levels, performance markers, and injury status to catch issues early.

Can I use the same training plan structure every year?

While the periodization framework (base-build-peak-recovery phases) remains consistent, each season should adapt to your evolving fitness, experience level, and goals. As you develop, you may handle higher volume, require different intensity distributions, or target more challenging races. Annual progression typically involves 10-15% increases in total volume, longer peak long runs, or more aggressive race goals. Review previous season logs to identify what worked, what didn't, and how to intelligently progress your approach.

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