Get The App
Vert.run vs Runna: which app for trail and ultra running?
The short answer
Vert.run is the trail specialist. Runna is a road app.
If your race is on trail, has real climbing or goes past 50K, Vert.run is built for it. If your goal is a road 10K or marathon, Runna does that well.
Start your free trial7-day free trial · cancel anytime
We're trail and ultra coaches, and trail is what we've built Vert.run around since 2019. In this Vert.run vs Runna comparison, everything we say about Runna comes from Runna's own website and help centre.
Longest plans
100 mi +
Runna: up to 50K
Sessions guided by
Effort + time
Runna: pace
Real coaches + ITRA
Built in
Runna: no
Works with the tools you already use
Import & export
Import & export
Import & export
Import
Race results
WhatsApp
Ask your coach
At a glance
Vert.run vs Runna at a glance
| Vert.run | Runna | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Trail and ultra. The trail specialist | Road running, 5K to marathon |
| Longest plans | From 10K trail races to 100 miles and beyond, plus backyard ultras | Ultra plans up to 50K |
| Sessions guided by | Effort (RPE) and time, because pace means little on a climb | Pace by default; RPE can be switched on |
| Climbing | The Mountain Index (metres climbed per km) shows how much climbing your training and races have | Hill sessions; no climbing measure |
| Where you train | Plan built on the terrain you actually have, so a city runner can prepare for a mountain race | Distance, terrain, fitness and schedule |
| Coaches | A coach checks every plan within a few hours, even on the free trial. VertCoaching gives you your own 1:1 coach | Coaching team behind the plans; in-app support |
| Day to day | Load adjusts to your real runs. In the app, Coach Vert.run swaps sessions, handles busy weeks and adds races. On WhatsApp, ask it anything about your plan | Plan adapts as you train |
| ITRA | The only training app with a direct official ITRA connection that brings in your race history | No ITRA integration |
| Strength | Strength and injury prevention in the plan | Strength, conditioning and mobility plans |
| Watches | Garmin, COROS, Suunto, Strava; Apple Watch via Strava | Garmin, COROS, Suunto, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Strava |
| Free trial | 7 days | First week free |
Runna details checked on runna.com and support.runna.com in November 2026. Features change; tell us if something here is out of date.
Which one fits
Which app fits your race?
When Runna is the better pick
- Your goal is a road race, a 5K, 10K, half or road marathon, and pace targets are what you want.
- You run with an Apple Watch or Fitbit and want workouts on your wrist without going through Strava.
For a road season, Runna is a good app. For trail, it isn’t what it was built for.
When Vert.run is the better pick
- Your race is on trail. On a climb or a technical descent your pace drops while the effort stays the same. Sessions guided by effort (RPE) and time stay right whatever the ground does.
- Your race has real climbing. The Mountain Index tells you how steep your race is (Flat, Hills or Steep) and how close your training is getting to it.
- You’re going past 50K. Vert.run has plans for 80K, 100K, 100 miles and beyond, plus backyard ultras, built by coaches who race those distances.
- You race on the ITRA circuit. Connect your ITRA profile and your race history, ITRA stats and the Mountain Index of every race come into Vert.run, so your coach and your plan start from what you’ve actually raced. Vert.run is the only training app with a direct official ITRA connection that brings in your race history.
- You live somewhere flat. Your plan is built on the terrain you have, whether that’s treadmill, stairs or the one hill in town, not on the terrain of your race.
- You want real coaching behind the app. Every new plan is checked by a coach. Coach Vert.run, the AI coach in the app, is built on years of real conversations between our coaches and athletes, so it answers like a trail coach, not a generic chatbot. And if you want ongoing guidance, VertCoaching pairs you with your own trail and ultra coach.
Every session
Train by effort, not pace
One session, written two ways. Every Vert.run session is set by effort (RPE) and time, with a note from our coaches on why it's there and how it should feel. Same work, any hill, any city.
A pace-based plan
4 × 5 min at 4:10/km, 3 min recovery
Clear on a flat road. On a 10% hill nobody holds 4:10/km, so you either blow up or give up on the session.
Vert.run
4 × 5 min uphill at RPE 6, 3 min recovery
Right on any hill, whatever your pace does.
Coach Vert.run
Ask your coach anything, even on WhatsApp
Coach Vert.run is built on years of real conversations between our coaches and athletes, and it knows your plan and your sessions. Ask it anything about your training, in the app or on WhatsApp, where you already talk to people.
Need to change something? In the app, Coach Vert.run's Adjustments swap a session, handle a busy week or add a race. And when you want a person, the coaching team is a message away.
ITRA
Your race history, in the app
Connect your ITRA profile and your past results and ITRA stats come into Vert.run, with the Mountain Index of every race. Your coach and your plan start from what you've actually raced.
Vert.run is the only training app with a direct official ITRA connection that brings in your race history.
Mountain Index
Your climbing, measured
Your plan doesn't set a climbing target for every session. Instead, the Mountain Index (metres of climbing per km) shows each week whether your training has the right amount of climbing for your race, from Flat to Steep.
Vert Pro · The trail specialist
Train by effort. Track your climbing.
Get a plan built around your race, the terrain you train on and the time you have, reviewed by a coach.
Start your free trial7-day free trial · cancel anytime
Why trail needs a different kind of plan
A road plan can tell you to run 5 km at a set pace and mean it. On trail, that same 5 km might include 400 metres of climbing, a rocky descent and a stretch of mud. Hitting a pace there either means going far too hard uphill or holding back on the easy bits. That’s why Vert.run guides sessions by perceived effort and time, tracks climbing separately, and builds long days around time on your feet rather than splits.
Want to see what that means for your race? Our trail running pace calculator shows how much distance, climbing and terrain change your finish time.
Real coaches
Real coaches who race what they coach
Max
Moi
Zeljko
Nico
Steve
Adam
ManuA coach checks every new plan within a few hours, even during your free trial. With VertCoaching, one of them becomes your coach. Meet the coaches
Real runners
Powered by runners like you
Hristo Mohamed
Flat country · mountain races
“Vert.run's training plans enabled me to prepare for mountain races with several thousand meters of elevation gain, and I live in the Netherlands. My highest 'hill' close by is a 30m dune.”
Valerie Currie
First 60K · at 60
“I never dreamed I would be able to run 60 km especially at 60 years old. But been there, done that now.”
Robert H.
New dad · marathon PBs
“I improved my marathon and half marathon PBs by 20 and 8 minutes, respectively, thanks to the specifically tailored training plans.”
FAQ
Vert.run vs Runna: FAQ
Is Runna good for trail running?
Runna is built for road running. It can get you round a short trail race, and its help centre recommends running hills by effort, but its plans stop at 50K, sessions are pace-based by default and it doesn’t measure climbing. For a trail race, and especially a trail ultra, a trail specialist like Vert.run fits better.
Does Runna have 100K or 100-mile plans?
No. Runna’s own ultramarathon page says you can train for an ultra up to 50K. Vert.run has plans up to 100 miles and beyond, plus backyard ultras.
Can I train for a mountain race if I live in a flat city?
Yes. Vert.run builds your plan around the terrain you can actually train on, using treadmills, stairs and whatever hills you have, and the Mountain Index shows how your training compares with your race.
Does Vert.run connect with ITRA?
Yes. Vert.run is the only training app with a direct official ITRA connection that brings in your race history. Connect your ITRA profile in the app and your past race results and ITRA stats come in, with the Mountain Index of each race. Runna has no ITRA integration.
Does Vert.run work with my watch?
Vert.run sends workouts to Garmin, COROS and Suunto watches, and your runs come back on their own. It also syncs with Strava, so Apple Watch runs reach your plan through Strava.
Can I get a real coach?
Yes. Every new Vert.run plan is reviewed by a coach, and you can message the coaching team in the app. Coach Vert.run, the AI coach, is built on years of real conversations between our coaches and athletes. If you want ongoing 1:1 guidance, VertCoaching pairs you with your own trail and ultra coach.
Built around your race. Reviewed by a coach.
Plans from your first 10K trail race to 100 miles and beyond, with your ITRA race history built in. Start with 7 days free.
Start your free trial7-day free trial · cancel anytime