| What it is | Repeated hard uphill efforts + easy down |
| Builds | Strength, power, economy, climbing fitness |
| Nickname | 'Speedwork in disguise' |
| Bonus | Lower impact than flat sprints |
Hill repeats are a workout of repeated hard efforts up a hill, jogging or walking back down to recover, then repeating. They build leg and aerobic strength, power, and running economy, and prepare trail and mountain runners for climbing (vert). Often called ‘speedwork in disguise,’ hill repeats deliver high-intensity benefits with lower impact than flat sprints.
Train the climbs
The key workout for building vert fitness and power hiking strength — a hill-based form of intervals.
Frequently asked questions
What are hill repeats?
Hill repeats are a workout in which you run hard up a hill for a set time or distance, then jog or walk back down to recover, and repeat for several reps. The uphill efforts build strength and aerobic power while the downhill provides recovery, making it a focused way to develop climbing fitness and overall running strength.
What are the benefits of hill repeats?
They build leg strength and power, improve running economy and form, boost aerobic capacity (like intervals), and prepare you specifically for climbing and the vert of trail and mountain running. Because running uphill reduces impact forces compared with fast flat running, hill repeats deliver intense training with a lower injury risk.
How do you do hill repeats?
Warm up well, then run hard up a hill (efforts commonly range from about 30 seconds to a few minutes depending on goals), focusing on strong, efficient form, then jog or walk down to recover fully before the next rep. Start with a few reps and build over time. Steeper, longer hills and more reps target endurance climbing; shorter, steeper ones target power.
Sources
- Hill training — American Council on Exercise
- Climbing fitness — American Trail Running Association