Key takeaways
- Vert is slang for vertical gain — the total elevation a route climbs (in feet or meters).
- It's a key difficulty measure alongside distance; climbing hugely affects effort and time.
- Runners and hikers track vert to gauge routes, plan training, and describe how mountainous a route is.
- Two routes of equal distance can differ enormously in difficulty based on their vert.
Short for 'vertical' (gain).
What vert is
Vert is slang for ‘vertical gain’ — the total amount of elevation a route climbs, measured in feet or meters. If a trail run has ‘5,000 feet of vert’, you’ll ascend a cumulative 5,000 feet over the run, however many separate climbs that’s spread across. It’s the same concept as elevation gain, in trail-running shorthand.
Why it matters
Climbing is far more demanding than flat distance, so vert is a key measure of difficulty — often more telling than distance alone. A flat 10-miler is easy; a 10-miler with 4,000 feet of vert is a serious workout. Two routes of equal length can feel completely different depending on their vert.
Choosing between two 12-mile runs, a trail runner picks based on vert: one has 800 feet of climbing (a fast, flowing run), the other 4,500 feet (a grueling mountain effort with lots of power hiking). The distance is the same; the vert tells them what they’re really in for.
How runners use it
Trail runners track vert to compare routes, structure training (building vert for a mountainous race), and describe outings (‘a high-vert route’). Many track total weekly or yearly vert as a metric. Handling steep vert with power hiking and smart pacing is central to mountainous trail running and ultras.
The bottom line
Vert is shorthand for vertical gain — the total elevation a route climbs — and it's one of the truest measures of difficulty, often more than distance. A flat run and a high-vert run of equal length are worlds apart in effort. Trail runners and hikers track vert to gauge routes, plan training, and describe just how mountainous an outing really is.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'vert' mean?
Vert is slang for 'vertical gain' — the total amount of elevation you climb over a route, measured in feet or meters. If a trail run has '5,000 feet of vert,' it means you'll ascend a cumulative 5,000 feet over the course of the run, regardless of how many separate climbs that's spread across.
Why does vert matter so much?
Because climbing is far more demanding than covering flat distance, vert is a key measure of how hard a route is — often more telling than distance alone. Two routes of the same length can feel completely different: a flat 10-miler is easy, while a 10-miler with 4,000 feet of vert is a serious workout. Runners and hikers use vert to gauge difficulty, effort, and time.
How do trail runners use vert?
They track vert to compare and plan routes, structure training (e.g., building 'vert' to prepare for a mountainous race), and describe outings ('a high-vert route' means lots of climbing). Many also track total vert over a week or year as a training metric. Power hiking the steep vert and pacing for the climbs are core mountain-running skills.
Sources
- Trail running training — American Trail Running Association
- Route planning — American Hiking Society