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Best trail running app: from your first trail race to 100 miles
Trusted by 130,000+ runners
The best trail running app is built for trail
Looking for the best trail running app? We're trail and ultra coaches, and trail is what we've built Vert.run around since 2019. From a first 15K on local trails to mountain 100-milers, your plan is built around your race, the terrain you train on and the time you have.
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Plans for
10K to 100 mi +
plus backyard ultras
Sessions guided by
Effort + time
not pace on a climb
Real coaches + ITRA
Built in
a coach checks every plan
Works with the tools you already use
Import & export
Import & export
Import & export
Import
Race results
WhatsApp
Ask your coach
What to look for
What the best trail running app should do
Not sure what that means for your race? Our trail running pace calculator shows how much distance, climbing and terrain change your finish time.
- Guide sessions by effort and time. On a climb your pace drops while the effort stays the same. A plan built on pace has you blowing up uphill or giving up on the session.
- Measure your climbing. A 20K with 1,200 m of climbing is a different race from a flat 20K. Your training should have the kind of climbing your race has.
- Work with the terrain you have. Not everyone lives next to a mountain. Treadmill, stairs or the one hill in town all count.
- Cover your distance. Short trail races, trail marathons, ultras and backyard ultras each need a different build.
- Include strength and recovery. Descents and long days punish legs that only run.
- Have real coaches behind it. A plan is only as good as the people who designed it.
Your plan
Built around your race and your week
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.
Every session
Train by effort, not pace
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.
Vert.run
4 × 5 min uphill at RPE 6, 3 min recovery
Right on any hill, whatever your pace does.
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.
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.
Coach Vert.run, the AI coach, 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.
Vert Pro · The trail specialist
Train by effort. Track your climbing.
Get a plan built around your race, from a first 10K trail to 100 miles, on the terrain you train on and reviewed by a coach.
Start your free trial7-day free trial · cancel anytime
Real coaches
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
Every distance
From your first trail race to 100 miles
Pick your distance. Every plan is built around your race, the terrain you train on and the days you have.
First trail race
Go from road or no running to your first trail race, with an 8-week start.
Trail marathon
Terrain, climbing and time on feet for your first trail marathon.
50K
The long-run habit, effort-based pacing and fueling for a first ultra.
100K
Bigger blocks, back-to-backs and race-day fueling practice.
100 miles
Long climbs, night running, pacing discipline and recovery.
Backyard ultra
One loop an hour until you're the last one standing.
Compare
Generic running apps vs Vert.run
| Vert.run | Generic running app | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Trail and ultra. The trail specialist | Road running |
| Distances | 10K trail races to 100 miles and beyond, plus backyard ultras | Often stops at the marathon or 50K |
| Sessions guided by | Effort (RPE) and time | Pace |
| Climbing | Mountain Index, every week and every race | Hill sessions, no climbing measure |
| Terrain | Plan built on the terrain you train on | Built for roads |
| Coaches | A coach checks every plan; 1:1 coaching with VertCoaching | Usually none, or generic |
| ITRA | Direct ITRA connection with your race history | None |
| Strength | Strength and injury prevention in the plan | Often separate |
Comparing with one app in particular? Read Vert.run vs Runna, Vert.run vs TrainingPeaks, or Vert.run ou RunMotion in French.
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
Best trail running app: FAQ
What is the best trail running app?
The best trail running app is one built for trail: sessions guided by effort and time rather than pace, a way to measure climbing, plans that fit the terrain you can train on, and real coaches behind it. Vert.run is built around all of that, with plans from your first 10K trail race to 100 miles and beyond.
Is Vert.run only for ultramarathons?
No. Vert.run has plans for first trail races, trail half marathons and marathons as well as 50K, 100K, 100 miles and backyard ultras. Many of our runners have never raced an ultra.
Can I use Vert.run for my first trail race?
Yes. Tell us your race and how many days you can train, and Vert.run builds a plan from where you are now, with easy running, gentle climbing, strength and a coach check on every new plan.
Does Vert.run work for 100K and 100-mile training?
Yes. Vert.run has plans for 100K, 100 miles and beyond, built by coaches who race those distances, with long days, back-to-backs, climbing, strength and race-day fueling practice.
Can I train for a mountain race if I live somewhere flat?
Yes. Vert.run builds your plan on 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 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.
Does Vert.run have real coaches?
Yes. A coach checks every new plan, even during the free trial, 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.
Your next trail race starts here
A plan built around your race, your terrain and your week, checked by a coach.
Start your free trial7-day free trial · cancel anytime