How do you run up hills without hating it?

Hills have a reputation problem. On the map they look like a line going up; in real life they look like someone else's idea of fun. But hills are also where the views are, where the old town sits, and where the run gets interesting. Most of the suffering comes from trying to climb them at the same speed as the flat. Change that one thing and they become much friendlier.

Run by effort, not by pace

On a hill, your pace will drop. That is not a sign you are bad at hills, it is physics. The mistake is trying to hold your flat-road speed and arriving at the top in pieces.

Instead, aim to keep your effort roughly the same as on the flat. If you can talk in short sentences on level ground, aim to still be able to talk in short sentences on the climb, even if that means moving at a pace that feels almost comical. If you wear a watch, stop looking at it until the top. If our page on how slow an easy run should be made you nod, the same logic applies here: easy is a feeling, not a number.

Short steps, quick feet

Long strides uphill are like using a big gear on a bike. Shorten them. Little quick steps, landing under you rather than out in front, keep you moving with less strain. Think of tapping up a staircase rather than lunging up it.

Stay tall. Lean a touch forward from the ankles, not by folding at the waist. If you find yourself staring at your shoes with your shoulders around your ears, look up a few metres, drop the shoulders and carry on.

Use your arms

Arms drive legs. On a climb, swing them a little more deliberately, forward and back rather than across your body, with relaxed hands. It sounds trivial; it makes a real difference to rhythm, especially near the top where everything wants to fall apart.

Walk without shame

This is the most useful advice we can give. On a steep section, a brisk walk with hands on your thighs is often barely slower than a shuffle, and you arrive at the top able to run again. Trail runners walk steep climbs all the time. It is a tactic, not surrender.

A good rule: if your running stride has become so short that you are basically marching, march properly. Pick a lamp post or a tree where you will start running again.

Break it up

Long climbs feel shorter in pieces. Run to the next bend. Then the next. Count fifty steps, then another fifty. Notice the view behind you on the way up. If the hill has a church or a bar at the top, that is your finish line; the espresso is part of the route.

Make hills a familiar friend

The more often you meet a hill, the less dramatic it feels. Choose a route with one gentle climb you can run every week and notice how it goes from enemy to acquaintance. Later, you can add a steeper one. If you also want to get better at coming down, which is a separate skill, see our guide to running downhill.

At the top

Keep jogging gently over the crest rather than stopping dead. Let your breathing settle while you move. Then have a proper look around. This is the reward, and it is a much better one than a split time.