You have a dozen races on your radar, three goal races including UTMB, and a spreadsheet that no longer makes sense? Planning your trail running season is something many trail runners neglect — until the day they find themselves running an ultra three weeks after a mountain marathon. This guide gives you a concrete method to organize your season, from first race to year-end review.
Why plan your season?
Trail running is not like road running. Distances range from 20 km to 300 km, elevation gain from 500 m to 25,000 m, and recovery times scale accordingly. Without a plan:
- You risk not having enough training weeks between major races
- You may miss registration windows (some races fill up in hours)
- You stack races with no clear priority, diluting your preparation
- You have no overall view of your season workload
A solid trail season plan is also a motivation tool: you know exactly why you're getting up at 5:30 AM for your long run.
The A/B/C method: prioritizing your races
This is the backbone of any trail season plan. The idea is simple: not all races are created equal.
A Race — The main goal
This is your flagship race. The one you train for all season. You have one or two A goals maximum per season. Everything else on your calendar is built around it.
Typical A race examples: UTMB, Diagonale des Fous, Western States, Hardrock 100, Grand Raid de la Reunion, TDS, CCC.
B Race — The prep races
B races serve to prepare your A goals. They're important but not the priority. They let you test your gear, nutrition, pacing, and accumulate race-specific mileage.
A good B race sits 4 to 8 weeks before your A, and represents roughly 50-70% of your A race effort.
C Race — Low-key participations
C races are pressure-free participations. Local trail on the weekend, mountain race with friends, long run in a race setting. You run them with no time goal.
Golden rule: if you're hesitating between B and C, it's probably a C. A B must have a clear role in preparing for your A.
Calculating training weeks
Once your races are classified, count the weeks between each A goal. Here are the benchmarks:
- Post-race recovery: allow 1 day per km-effort (distance + elevation gain/100) before resuming hard training. An 80 km race with 4,000 m D+ = 120 km-effort = ~17 days before you can resume intense sessions. During this period, you don't stop completely: you progressively rebuild load with easy jogs and active recovery.
- Minimum preparation: 8-12 weeks of specific training before an A goal. Less is risky.
- Buffer zone: always keep 1-2 weeks of margin for the unexpected (injury, fatigue, weather).
If you don't have enough weeks between two A races, you need to either reschedule a race or downgrade one to B.
For those looking for structured coaching to accompany their season plan, Campus Coach offers trail running training programs built around these same periodization principles.
Managing race registration
Trail race registration is a sport in itself. With the current boom, some non-lottery races fill up in 30 minutes. Planning a year ahead isn't overkill: as soon as a race finishes, ask yourself if you want to do it next year — and if so, follow it on social media and subscribe to its newsletter to be notified when registration opens.
- Note the date AND time of registration opening for each race in your calendar. For non-lottery races, being there on the minute can make the difference between a bib and a waitlist.
- Register in order of registration windows opening, not in A/B/C priority order. A B race may well open before your A race. What matters: being ready on opening day for every target race.
- Major iconic races have specific entry systems — understand them well before planning:
- UTMB (UTMB, CCC, OCC): pre-registration window in January (about 12 days) for a late-August race. Two mandatory cumulative conditions: at least 1 active Running Stone at the time of the lottery draw (earned by finishing a UTMB World Series race), AND a valid UTMB Index in the target race category (obtained by finishing a World Series or UTMB Index race in the previous 24 months). These two concepts are distinct: Stones accumulate and never disappear from your account — but for your stock to be active and usable in the lottery, you must have run at least one World Series race in the previous 24 months. A single recent Stone reactivates your entire balance. The more Stones you have, the better your chances in the draw.
- Hardrock 100: registration on UltraSignup in early October, lottery draw in early December. Open to everyone (not reserved for pros), but requires having finished one of ~30 official qualifying races in the past 2 years — mountain ultras of 100 miles or more, chosen for comparable difficulty. Weighted ticket system: each unsuccessful application year doubles your tickets (2^N formula).
- Diagonale des Fous (Grand Raid de la Reunion): pre-registration until March, lottery draw in March. 3,000 spots split as follows: 1,250 for Reunion residents (lottery), 1,250 for mainland France and overseas territories (300 via lottery + 950 through tour operator packages). In practice, for mainland runners, going through a package is often the most reliable way to secure a bib. Qualifying points required.
- Keep a budget: trail race entries cost between 30 and 300 euros. A season of 8-10 races can easily exceed 1,500 euros.
Visualizing your season on a timeline
A standard calendar isn't enough. To plan effectively, you need a timeline view that shows:
- All your races for the year with their priority (A/B/C)
- Training blocks between each race
- Recovery periods
- Conflicts and overlaps
- Your overall season workload
That's exactly what Cimea does: an interactive timeline that automatically calculates training weeks, recovery periods, and alerts you when your schedule has issues.
The wishlist: long-term planning
Beyond the current season, keep a race wishlist for future years. Classify them by dream level:
- Achievable: races you can do this year or next
- Ambitious: races that require 1-2 years of progression
- Ultimate dream: iconic races for 3-5 years from now
When the time comes, move a race from your wishlist to your season plan.
Concrete example: a sample season
Here's a structured season for a trail runner targeting UTMB (late August):
| Period | Race | Cat. | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 30 km trail | C | Season opener, fun |
| April | 60 km trail, D+3500 | B | Gear and nutrition test |
| May | 25 km trail | C | Light race outing |
| June | 80 km trail, D+5000 | B | Big prep, UTMB simulation |
| July | — | — | Tapering, active recovery |
| August | UTMB | A | Main goal |
| September | Easy jogs only | — | Full recovery |
| October | Progressive rebuild | — | Return to structured training |
| November | 20-25 km trail max | C | First post-UTMB race |
Mistakes to avoid
- Too many A races: beyond 2 per season, your preparation gets diluted
- Not enough recovery: respect rest periods, especially after ultras
- Planning by feel: use a dedicated tool, not a spreadsheet
- Ignoring registration: a race without a confirmed registration isn't a planned race
- No plan B: if your A race is cancelled (weather, injury), what's the alternative?
Frequently asked questions about trail season planning
How many races should you do per trail running season?
Most experienced trail runners plan between 6 and 12 races per season, with 1 to 2 A goals, 2 to 4 B races, and the rest as C. The number depends mainly on distances: a 100 km ultra requires much more recovery than a 30 km trail.
When should you start planning your trail season?
With the growing popularity of trail running, you should plan at least a year ahead. As soon as a race finishes, ask yourself if you want to do it next year. Follow your target races on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to their newsletter to get registration alerts — and note in your calendar the exact date AND time of registration opening. Some non-lottery races sell out in under 30 minutes.
What tool should you use to plan your trail season?
A spreadsheet can work for beginners, but it won't automatically calculate training weeks or flag conflicts. Dedicated tools like Cimea offer a visual timeline with alerts and built-in registration management.
What is the A/B/C method in trail running?
It's a race prioritization method: A = main season goal (1-2 max), B = preparatory races with a specific purpose, C = low-key participations with no pressure. It helps you focus your training on what truly matters.
How do I know if a race is B or C?
Ask yourself a simple question: does this race play a specific role in preparing for my A race? If you can answer in one sentence (testing nutrition, validating gear, simulating conditions), it's a B. If the answer is vague or you're running it because you feel like it, it's a C.
Conclusion
Planning your trail running season means going from chaos to clarity. By prioritizing your races with the A/B/C method, calculating your training weeks, and staying on top of registrations, you maximize your chances of performing on your goals while enjoying every race.
If you're looking for a tool to put all this into practice, Cimea is built exactly for that: season calendar, interactive timeline, wishlist, registration alerts. Free to start.