Tom Evans is a professional trail and ultra runner sponsored by Redbull and Adidas Terrex from Loughborough, Great Britain. He is also a Vert.run Athlete Partner and has designed a Vert.run training program for racing 100M. Meet Tom Evans through this interview.

Tom Evans’s approach to training is closer to perfection than any other athlete in this sport while having a lot of fun in the process. Tom’s approach to training relays on sustainability, consistency, and great workouts that will not only help you build strong fitness but also teach you something beyond running. In this training plan, Tom shares his training philosophy, his approach to training, and his expertise, to make the most out of every session while making sure you are arriving to the start line of the UTMB ready to rock.

The HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc race is approximately 171 kilometers (106 miles) long with a total elevation gain of about 10,000 meters (32,800 feet).

The Max allowed race time 46h 30minutes.

Through Vert.run, we’ve unlocked access to trail running for over 85,000 people from more than 100 countries. By working with races around the world–like the UTMB ® Mont Blanc, and 14 other races in the series–we know that we’ll be able to bring the joy of finishing a race and safely achieving their goal to thousands more trail runners.

Each plan is designed specifically for the demands of the race, including its distance, technicality, elevation gain, and type of terrain.

The plans also include a very important element: the Mountain Index of each race, a tool we developed ourselves at Vert.run so that racers can make sure they’re gaining exactly the right amount of elevation in their training for their race.

When you train with Vert.run, your personal Vert.run coach checks your training once weekly to ensure you’re training safely and following your progress. In addition to ensuring you’re on track for your goal, your Vert.run coach also answers any of your questions about training, nutrition, and gear–giving you direct access to an expert right in your pocket. Your connection with your Vert.run coach provides you with accountability, support, and encouragement—the key tools for success in reaching your trail running goals.

We really want to hear from you, and are here to answer any questions you have. So feel free to write us to explore@vert.run, and one of our coaches will get back to you within 48 hours or fewer.

If you’re a monthly subscriber, yes! You can switch between training plans however you’d like. Just go to your dashboard and choose the “change or restart plan” option. This will take you to your training plan menu. Of course, we do recommend that you finish a training plan once you’ve started it (unless you find it to be way to difficult or easy), since they’re designed to build your fitness over weeks. When you leave a training plan in the middle, you’ll miss key workouts; and when you start a new plan, you’ll start it from the beginning. This is to make sure that you train safely and responsibly, and that the skills you develop are built to last. We encourage you to stick out each plan, challenge yourself in a race or other personal challenge, and then to start a new plan with fresh legs.