Training on hills has lots of benefits for runners, such as improved strength, speed, and confidence. But some runners who live in very flat areas get concerned about their lack of hill training, especially if they’re running a race with lots of elevation changes. Here are some alternatives to hill running that give you almost the same bang for your buck:
Bridges
Maybe you live in a very flat area, but are you close to any bridges? Although they might not be very steep, many bridges have at least some incline.
Check out some local bridges and see if they’re safe for runners. (Make sure there’s a pedestrian path.) Then do some repeats back and forth on the bridge, or plot out a run so that you can incorporate a bridge or two.
Treadmills
While some runners despise the treadmill, they’re not the favorite of most runners, you can get a decent hill workout on a treadmill and you can design your own hill workout with the exact distances and inclines you want to practice.
Many treadmills have pre-programmed hill workouts that you can do. If you’re really clever, you can even program the treadmill to mimic your race course. The biggest disadvantage, of course, is that you can’t simulate downhill running on most treadmills.
Here’s a sample treadmill workout to do:
| Interval | How to Run |
| Warm up | Slowly jog for 5 minutes |
| Hill Interval | 2 minutes steady pace at 3% incline |
| Rest Interval | Recover (easy pace) for 2 minutes |
| Hill Interval | 2 minutes steady pace at 4% incline |
| Rest Interval | Recover (easy pace) for 2 minutes |
| Hill Interval | 2 minutes steady pace at 5% incline |
| Rest Interval | Recover (easy pace) for 2 minutes |
| Hill Interval | 2 minutes steady pace at 6% incline |
| Rest Interval | Recover (easy pace) for 2 minutes |
| Hill Interval | 2 minutes steady pace at 5% incline |
| Rest Interval | Recover (easy pace) for 2 minutes |
| Hill Interval | 2 minutes steady pace at 4% incline |
| Rest Interval | Recover (easy pace) for 2 minutes |
| Hill Interval | 2 minutes steady pace at 3% incline |
| Rest Interval | Recover (easy pace) for 2 minutes |
| Cool down | Slowly jog for 5 minutes |
More Treadmill Workouts: Boredom-Busting Treadmill Workouts
Stair workouts
Whether you run stairs at a local stadium or in your office or apartment building, stairs can be a good substitute for hills. And, fortunately, they’re very easy to find.
The idea with running stairs is to do it the same way you would hill repeats. Push yourself going up the stairs and then recover at an easy pace on the way down.
Beginners will want to start with one step at a time but, as your fitness and agility improves, you can go for two at a time.
Sand Running
If you’re lucky enough to have access to a beach or sandpit, running on sand is an excellent alternative to hill running. The soft, uneven surface forces your muscles to work harder, especially your calves, quads, and glutes.
You can either run on the sand along the shoreline or find a hill of sand to sprint up for even more of a challenge.
Pro Tip: Wet sand tends to be firmer and easier to run on than dry sand, so look for a damp area to start.
Parking garages
Some runners run the inclines in parking garage towers during times when they’re mostly empty.
This may be a good workout to do with your running club or running buddies, since some runners may not want to run by themselves in a parking garage. See if you can find one with security guards for added safety.
Trail Running
Even if you’re running on relatively flat trails, you’ll be running over uneven surfaces, which builds stability, engages different muscle groups, and helps you become a stronger, more balanced runner.
The varying terrain challenges your body in a way that flat roads cannot, providing a similar strength-building effect as hills.
Also see: Essential Tips for Trail Running
Running coach, avid runner, and fitness writer Christine Luff is an RRCA-certified running coach and ACE-certified personal trainer. Founder of the website Run for Good and author of the book Run for Good: How to Create a Lifelong Running Habit, she coaches runners, from beginners to advanced, who are training for races, from 5Ks to marathons.
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