stronger together courses

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What is it all about?

An ultra can feel scary. It can feel out of reach for ‘normal’ runners. It can feel like you need loads of time, money, kit, time. Amazing people pop up on your Instagram doing these extraordinary things, and you think “I could never do that”. But you can.

With the right support and advice, we at Into Ultra believe that anyone can run and walk an ultra. Which is why we are partnering with some fantastic coaches across the UK to deliver four teams of 10-15 budding ultrarunners to take on an ultra in 2026. Guided by a training plan, meet-ups, advice on everything from kit to navigation, and ongoing support and encouragement from an expert coach and each other, you can achieve something you thought never possible. 

We ran similar courses last year and not only did the participants achieve their ultra goals, but they built a community with their fellow runners:

“Having Polly constantly in my corner reassuring and answering my multitude of questions has been a godsend. And the group was fantastic as we all spurred each other on and chatted through any worries or niggles we were having”

“There were occasional setbacks of course, but with the incredible support of our coach and the group we got there in the end - amazing experience!”

They have inspired the name of this programme because we are Stronger Together. 

What do I get?

You will all be working towards a particular race or event in mid-2026 that is suitable for ultra-newbies e.g. great support, no or super-generous cut-offs, range of distances.  We don’t really like the word ‘race’ since most of us are not racing anyone else or anything – its just a fun and challenging adventure.

To get you to the start line in great shape, well-prepared and confident, you will receive a package of support over 5-6 months building up to the event.  Our Stronger Together courses all include:

• a race-specific training plan tailored to those building up to an ultra
• in person and Zoom meet-ups that could include guided runs, course recces, advice on training, nutrition, kit, pacing, navigation, building resilience and confidence, strength work, social natter and cake
• a WhatsApp community for teambuilding, supporting each other, asking questions, offering motivation, celebrating milestones and to arrange informal meet-ups
• access to Into Ultra’s webinar series – previous ones have included ‘being a tail-end warrior’, advice from experts like Renee MacGregor and Claire Maxted and tall tales from Damian Hall
• support and encouragement on ‘race’ day from the coach

Each course is slightly different reflecting the particular event and the course content and length.  You can see here a brief summary about each course.

The courses cost around £200 per person equivalent to just £10 a week (excluding race entry).  A small investment in you.

Into ultra is able to cover this course cost for those who face difficulties affording this.  We will also cover the cost of the race entry (or in many cases these are provided free by the races) and, if needed, help you with kit, shoes and clothing.  See below for how to apply for this support.  There will be a limited number of these into ultra funded places.

Is this for me?

The training plans, advice and event will be suitable for ultra-newbies but anyone who would like to join a fun community is welcome to join – you can never have too much camaraderie!  

We do ask that participants:

• want to complete an ultra and are able to commit to training 3-4 times a week
• are reasonably close to be able to attend the in-person meet-ups 
• are able to jog/run, at any pace, for 1 hour or 2 hours by the start of the course.  The level differs for each course reflecting the race and the time to build up - see here

How do I join?

The four courses are in: Lakes, West Midlands / Malvern Hills, Peak District and South East Wales.  If none of these are close enough to you please still register and we will look to find coaches who can run Stronger Together courses in other areas.

To apply click here which asks for some basic details about, which course you are interested in and whether you are looking for into ultra funding.  If you are self-funding we’ll put you in contact with the coach which will provide some more details.  If you are looking for into ultra funding there are some further questions that allow into ultra to assess whether we can financially support you.  Once you apply we will send you further details about the course.