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Vert.run vs TrainingPeaks: which is better for trail running?
The short answer
Vert.run is a trail coach in an app. TrainingPeaks is a training platform.
TrainingPeaks is where many coaches and data-loving athletes plan and analyse training across sports. Vert.run gives you the plan, the coaches and the trail tools in one app, from your first 10K trail race to 100 miles.
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We're trail and ultra coaches, and trail is what we've built Vert.run around since 2019. In this Vert.run vs TrainingPeaks comparison, everything we say about TrainingPeaks comes from its own website and help centre.
Plan + coach
Built in
TrainingPeaks: bring your own
Built for
Trail + ultra
TrainingPeaks: all endurance sports
ITRA connection
Direct
TrainingPeaks: 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 TrainingPeaks at a glance
| Vert.run | TrainingPeaks | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A trail and ultra training app: your plan, coaches and trail tools in one place | A training platform for athletes and coaches: calendar, workout log and analytics |
| Main focus | Trail and ultra. The trail specialist | All endurance sports: running, cycling, triathlon, swimming |
| Your plan | Built for your race, your terrain and your days, then checked by a coach | Bought from an independent coach in the plan store, or written by your own coach |
| Sessions guided by | Effort (RPE) and time, because pace means little on a climb | Whatever the plan author or coach chooses: pace, heart rate, power or RPE |
| 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 | A bought plan is applied to your calendar; changes are made by you or your coach |
| Climbing | The Mountain Index (metres climbed per km) shows how much climbing your training and races have | Elevation shown in your workout data; no climbing index for planning |
| Coaches | A coach checks every plan within a few hours, even on the free trial. VertCoaching gives you your own 1:1 coach | Coaching through independent coaches or Coach Match, paid separately |
| Analytics | Kept simple: each week's time, climbing and Mountain Index, and what to run today | Deep analytics: training load, fitness and fatigue charts, peak performances |
| 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 workout tools in Premium |
| Watches | Garmin, COROS, Suunto, Strava; Apple Watch via Strava | Wide device support, including Garmin, COROS, Suunto, Wahoo and Apple Watch |
| Free trial | 7 days | Free Basic account; 14-day Premium trial |
TrainingPeaks details checked on trainingpeaks.com and help.trainingpeaks.com in November 2026. Features change; tell us if something here is out of date.
Which one fits
Which one fits your race?
When TrainingPeaks is the better pick
- Your coach already uses TrainingPeaks and builds your plan there.
- You also train for triathlon or cycling and want one place for every sport.
- You love the numbers: training load, fitness and fatigue charts and detailed workout analysis.
For a coach-led, data-heavy setup across sports, TrainingPeaks is a great platform. If you want the plan and the coaching to come with the app, built for trail, that's Vert.run.
When Vert.run is the better pick
- You want a plan built for you, not bought off a shelf. Tell us your race, the days you can train and where you run, and Vert.run builds the plan around it. A coach checks every new plan within a few hours, even during the free trial.
- You want coaching included. 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. Ask it anything in the app or on WhatsApp. And if you want ongoing guidance, VertCoaching pairs you with your own trail and ultra coach.
- Your race is on trail, with real climbing. Sessions are guided by effort (RPE) and time, and the Mountain Index shows how close your training is getting to the climbing of your race.
- 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. 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.
- You want simple, not a spreadsheet. You see what to run today and why, without having to read fitness and fatigue charts.
Your plan
Built for you, not bought off a shelf
Tell us your race, how many days you can train and where you run. Your plan counts down to race day and shows each week's time, climbing and Mountain Index.
Training load adjusts to the runs you actually do, so a big weekend or a missed session doesn't throw the plan off. A coach checks every new plan within a few hours.
Every session
Train by effort, not by the chart
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, and you don't need to read a fitness chart to know what to do today.
Coach Vert.run
Change your plan in a few taps
Busy week, travel, a new race on the calendar? Coach Vert.run's Adjustments in the app swap a workout, add an easy week, handle a busy period or add a race. No need to rebuild your calendar by hand.
Coach Vert.run is built on years of real conversations between our coaches and athletes. Ask it anything about your training, in the app or on WhatsApp. 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
A plan, not just a platform.
Get a plan built around your race, the terrain you train on and the time you have, reviewed by a coach.
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Data or a plan?
TrainingPeaks is very good at showing what you did: every workout, every chart, every trend. That's why coaches love it. But a chart doesn't write next week for you, and it doesn't know that your race has 2,000 metres of climbing and you live in a flat city.
Vert.run starts from the other end. It builds the plan around your race, guides every session by perceived effort and time, tracks climbing with the Mountain Index, and has coaches behind it. Want to see what your race will ask of you? 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 TrainingPeaks: FAQ
Is TrainingPeaks good for trail running?
TrainingPeaks is a strong training platform, and many trail coaches use it to write plans for their athletes. Its plan store has trail and ultra plans from independent coaches. It doesn't build a plan for you itself, and it has no trail-specific tools like the Mountain Index or a direct ITRA connection. Vert.run builds your trail plan for you, with coaches behind it.
What is the difference between Vert.run and TrainingPeaks?
TrainingPeaks is a platform for planning and analysing training across sports: you bring the plan, from its plan store or from your own coach. Vert.run is a trail and ultra training app that builds the plan for you, checks it with a coach, guides sessions by effort and time, tracks climbing with the Mountain Index and connects to ITRA.
Do I need a coach to use TrainingPeaks?
No. You can buy a plan from its plan store or build your own workouts. Coaching on TrainingPeaks comes from independent coaches or its Coach Match service, paid separately. With Vert.run, a coach checks every new plan, Coach Vert.run answers your questions in the app or on WhatsApp, and VertCoaching gives you your own 1:1 coach if you want one.
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.
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 with Vert.run?
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. For 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.
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