The base: effort distance
In trail running, 30 km with 2000 m of elevation gain does not feel like 30 km on the road. A simple field rule converts elevation into effort distance: 100 m of elevation gain adds roughly 1 km of flat equivalent.
Estimate your trail race time from distance, elevation gain, your reference flat pace, and terrain difficulty. The goal is not to predict the exact finish time, but to give you a realistic benchmark for planning your effort.
In trail running, 30 km with 2000 m of elevation gain does not feel like 30 km on the road. A simple field rule converts elevation into effort distance: 100 m of elevation gain adds roughly 1 km of flat equivalent.
A runnable fire road, technical singletrack, mud, or harsh downhills do not cost the same energy. Technical terrain slows pace, increases muscular fatigue, and demands more focus.
Use your reference flat pace as a sustainable pace, not your 5K personal best. For a long race, choose a comfortable pace and leave margin: trail running rewards control and consistency.
Effort distance
- km
Terrain impact
+-%
Real average pace
- / km
Average speed
- km/h
Estimated time
-
Example: 42 km with 2500 m of elevation gain already equals 67 km-effort before terrain difficulty is even applied.
This estimate is only a benchmark. Sleep, weather, altitude, nutrition, downhill management, and your current fitness can all change the final result.
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Download on the App StoreEverything you need to know about TrailRun training plans, workout tracking, and features.
Yes. Whether you are discovering trail running or aiming for an ultra, TrailRun creates a plan tailored to your level, goal, and daily life so you can progress without rushing.
When you sign up, you provide your level, goal, availability, and constraints. TrailRun then generates a balanced plan with running sessions, integrated strength training, clear targets, and explanations for every workout.
The free version lets you get a personalized training plan, reschedule your workouts, create your own routes, sync your sessions with your watch, and benefit from coaching tips.
Pro includes every free feature, daily guidance from an expert coach, plan adjustments when life gets in the way, precise workout targets, overtraining alerts, and in-depth stats analysis. You also get injury-prevention strength training, ideal routes with elevation profiles, 3D Flyover, and GPX export to your watch.
Yes. You can reschedule your workouts when your availability changes. With Pro, your plan also adapts to unexpected events so your progress stays consistent without disrupting your preparation.
TrailRun includes strength work, recovery, and progressive return-to-running programs designed by professionals. If you are injured or pain persists, the app does not replace medical advice.
Yes. Built-in GPS tracking records your route, distance, pace, altitude, elevation gain, and elevation loss, even without a watch. You can also create your own routes, discover new ones, and use Pro to explore your course in a 3D Flyover.
Yes. You can sync your TrailRun workouts with your Apple Watch and Suunto watch. Garmin compatibility is coming soon.
TrailRun uses your training history to adjust your training volume. Advanced statistics help you track changes in your training load, measure your progress, and better understand your coach's advice.
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