What Are Hill Workouts?
Hill workouts are sessions designed to build strength, power and endurance, especially if you’re training for a race with a hilly, moderate or rolling course profile.
They can vary in format depending on your course profile. Some hill sessions include:
Short, sharp hill sprints (e.g. 20–30 seconds) to build explosive power and anaerobic capacity.
Longer, sustained hill reps (e.g. 60–120 seconds) to develop strength endurance and aerobic fitness.
Unlike flat intervals, the recovery is usually a jog or walk back down the hill. Because every hill is different in length and steepness, the recovery distance and time can vary from rep to rep.
Hill workouts are slightly different from interval or tempo runs because they’re based more on effort rather than an exact pace. If you’re unsure what type of hill to choose or how hard your reps should feel, check out our Hill Training guide for pacing and effort tips.
Hilly/Moderate/Rolling Long Runs
For hilly, moderate or rolling long runs, we’ll provide a rough elevation target within your workout details. We don’t set specific elevation targets for each kilometre or mile, so treat the elevation as a guideline rather than a strict rule.
We recommend trying to align your long run route with your expected race course profile and terrain, but the goal is to gradually build confidence and strength on similar terrain - don't worry about perfectly replicating every climb.
How Do I Start a Hill Workout in Runna?
We know that some runners live in flat areas, while others face a mountain every time they leave their front door! To keep things flexible, Runna builds in time for you to get to and from your desired hill.
Complete your prescribed warm-up as shown in the workout
After your warm-up, you’ll automatically move into a step that directs you to “Run to base of hill.” Your distance is still tracked during this step, but it gives you the extra time you need to reach your chosen hill without starting the reps too early.
When you’re at the bottom and ready to begin your first uphill effort, press Lap / Next on your watch or in the Runna app to start the workout.
During the workout
Run the uphill effort as instructed (this will be based on effort, not pace).
You’ll then receive a short walking or standing rest.
After this, an automatic step will prompt you to jog or walk back down for recovery.
Because hills vary in length, the workout can’t detect exactly when you’re back at the bottom. When you’re ready to begin your next rep, press Lap / Next again to start it.
Repeat this process until all reps are complete, then follow your cool-down as shown.
What if I use Open Warm-Up?
If you prefer, you can enable Open Warm-Up in your Runna settings. This allows you to reach the bottom of the hill during your warm-up - especially if you’re closer than the prescribed warm-up distance.
With Open Warm-Up turned on, your warm-up won’t automatically progress. When you’re at the bottom of the hill, you’ll need to manually press Continue, then skip through the “Run to base of hill” step to begin your first uphill rep.
What if I Want to Complete my Hill Workout on the Treadmill?
Treadmills are a great option if you’re short on time, don’t have hills nearby, or the weather isn’t ideal.
You can still complete your hill session indoors by adjusting the incline to match the effort of an uphill run. Your workout will still be based on effort rather than pace, so focus on how the effort feels rather than hitting exact speed targets.
Some treadmills don’t offer a negative incline for the easy jog back down. If that’s the case, there's no need to worry - just jog on a flat incline for roughly the amount of time it would take you to get back to the bottom of the hill.
Please see this article for guidance on recommended incline settings and pace guidance!
Need more support?
If you have further questions or need more support, please contact us via the in-app support channel and we'll do our best to help!