How to get quicker in an ultra marathon without running faster

Tips to give you a competitive edge

May 23, 2025

Ready to race at the start line of Beyond the Ultimate Highlands Ultra

It was school sports day yesterday. I’m ashamed to say I sloped off early to avoid being cajoled into running the mum’s race. I get more nervous about this race than any of the ultra marathons I’ve ever done. I would rather run 250km across a desert than the primary school mum’s race.

The problem is everyone at school knows me as The Running Coach. The expectation therefore is that I will win. It’s just too much pressure to bear. Especially when last year I got beaten by another mum. Oh - the shame!

I was chatting to my coach Damian Hall about this earlier today. He also feels the pressure of the dad’s race. He even wrote about it in Runner’s World magazine last summer. Anyone who has watched a dad’s race will know how frightening an experience it is.

Damian and I both know that it is “just a bit of fun”, something we tell our children all the time. But unfortunately we are both competitive and don’t like losing, at least at the things we are expected to win.

I got into ultra running because it was the antithesis of winning. Road races always seemed to be about PBs, age category placings and going as fast as you could. But running an ultra marathon was just a lovely day out with like minded people munching on sweets and sandwiches. The urge to be competitive fell away, and I got into the rhythm of just enjoying the experience.

But now I seem to be entering a different phase of ultra racing. I could only stave off my competitive streak for so long.

My first taste of this was a local 100k race last September, where I finished first female. I found the whole race incredibly stressful and like school sports day did not enjoy the pressure at all.

But something shifted in me as I raced in The Highlands earlier this month. Finding myself in second place I lent into the experience and started to enjoy it. It gave me the motivation to push myself when usually I would be happy just plodding along.

And looking ahead to my race calendar this year I’m hoping to pick up that competitive spirit again. I will never podium at a large race, but in smaller ultras I have a chance. And it’s not because I’ve got faster. It’s all down to other tweaks in the way I race.

I’m not saying everyone will want to be competitive. I didn’t for many years. But for those looking to edge their way further up the field there are simple changes that can be made.

These are the ways I have adapted my racing to be more competitive without running faster.

Just one of the many stunning views along the Beyond the Ultimate Highlands Ultra

1. Run your own race

This is a cliche that gets trotted out a lot. But what does it actually mean? For many runners it means not going off fast with all the over excited people at the front, before later crashing and burning. It means pacing steadily and being a tortoise rather than a hare.

But for me it is probably the opposite. In the past I have paced very conservatively usually running with a friend. In one multi day race I kept having to slow down because my running buddy said their heart rate was too high, or they felt it was time to walk. This was very much running their race and not mine. In a nutshell I was being held back.

The last couple of ultras I’ve run without knowing anyone there. And this has led to better results. I know when I can push and when I need to slow down, and I don’t have to take anyone else into consideration. It has made me realise I can go faster without falling apart and I don’t have to be afraid of pushing.

I’m also more ruthless when it comes to chatting with other runners on the course. Yes I will chat with someone I’m running the same pace as but if I feel I want to go faster I will no longer hang back to keep them company.

2. Be efficient at checkpoints

I’m a faffer. In the past if I stopped at a checkpoint I’d go to the toilet, sit down to eat something, fill up all of my water bottles, get my poles out, sort out my electrolytes, reapply KT tape, chat to the volunteers. This was a great way to lose a lot of time particularly on a very long race.

Now I try to be in and out of there within two minutes and just focus on getting enough water to get me to the next checkpoint. Weeing at the side of the track when no-one is around is much quicker than queuing for the loo, and I can sort out all my fuel and kit while moving.

Get in and out as quickly as possible is my new mantra.

I pulled ahead of this group at the next checkpoint

3. Be organised in advance

Having everything within easy reach can also speed things up. My food is always right at the front now, where I can access it without having to take my pack off. My poles are positioned where I can pull them out quickly or I ask someone else to grab them or put them away.

I try to anticipate what I will need, in what order and place it in my pack accordingly. This prevents me from continually stopping to take my pack off, or root around for a particular item.

I also use the pockets in my leggings or shorts, even if I have room in my hydration pack. This was really handy on the Highlands Ultra because accessing the pockets on my large pack was a little fiddly. It was much quicker to grab bars and gels from my legging pockets, saving me valuable time.

4. Take sparing photos

We all love a good selfie on top of a mountain and I’m a sucker for taking panoramic views of amazing scenery. But again, this uses up time and slows you down. In the Highlands I took limited photos and instead relied on the race photographer and just hoped they got some scenic shots.

We also had a race WhatsApp group where everyone shared their photos which meant I had plenty of scenic shots to choose between without having wasted my own time taking them.

The gatekeeper - a wonderful photo by racer Thijs Leroy

5. Don’t be afraid to push when you can

I touched on this last week, but I am learning to push when I know I can and try not to worry about my weaknesses. I know I am much better on the road so I can increase my pace and run at a moderate rather than an easy effort on these stretches. I also love a long descent and definitely push hard on these when it’s not too technical.

I used to run everything at the same easy pace but now my races are much more of a mixture. Some sections my heart rate will be pretty high as I push hard on the flat or downhill, but it will drop back down when I’m crawling up a hill.

Conversely if you are someone who is stronger at hiking use this to your advantage on the climbs and don’t worry if you have to be more tentative coming down. Play to your strengths whatever they are.

Pick of the week

The Runner’s World podcast recently released an excellent episode about Mansplaining featuring Bethan Taylor-Swaine and Sabrina Pace-Humphreys. It was an extremely well informed discussion and one that would resonant with a lot of female runners. I would highly recommend you have a listen on your next run.