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50k Training Plan – Just Finish (For First-Time Ultrarunners)

Our 50k Ultra Marathon Training Plan – Just Finish is designed for beginner or intermediate runners who want to comfortably complete their 50k without focusing on speed or finishing time.

Once you go beyond marathon distance and stray into ultra territory, the training strategies and advice vary an incredible amount.   

This 50k training plan Just Finish plan was initially developed by pulling strategies from a few sources, and has been refined by myself and several other ultra-runners.

Keep scrolling to access the training plan for free in PDF or editable Google Sheets format in both miles and kilometers.

50k Training Plan – Just Finish: Essential Info

Who Is It For?:

Our Just Finish training plans are for beginner ultrarunners who simply want to complete the event.

If you donโ€™t want to spend all your free time training, and have no specific finishing time in mind, this is the plan for you.

Our Just Finish training plans usually have more rest days and very little speed work (if any); theyโ€™re designed to condition your body to complete the distance, but not more.

The 50k training plan just finish is ideal for completing your first ultrarunning event, or for runners with busy lives!

Find out other ultramarathon training plans โ€“ for different goals and ability levels โ€“ by clicking here.

How Long?: 

Six months // 24 weeks.  

How Many Days Per Week?:

The majority of this training program features 4 or 5 days of training per week.

A man running on top of a hill

Training Breakdown: What Will Your Weekly Schedule Consist Of?

Speed Work

One optional day of speed work is included in this plan; this is to improve your base running speed and your running economy. Itโ€™s not considered mandatory; prioritize long runs over all other runs.

Time On Your Feet

This is paramount โ€“ more important than speed or miles. Itโ€™s also the biggest commitment youโ€™ll have to give for your 50k preparation.  Your body has to get used to being on your feet for hours on end, so it holds up well come race day. 

Hence the huge amount of miles included in this plan. This can mean committing serious chunks of your life (weekends) to running.  

Cross Training

A 50k run is all about endurance, and muscular strength makes you an endurance animal. Many runners can get by with marathon-length runs by doing only running training.  

But once you are on your legs for several hours at a time, having some core strength really helps you keep your form and fuels your endurance. Remember โ€“ your whole body is active while running, not just your legs.  

I highly recommend doing cross training once per week (more if you manage), focussing on the upper body. If you only have time for one cross-training session, focus on your legs with lunges, squats, and stretching โ€“ your body will thank you when youโ€™re 10hrs into the race.

Cross-training also improves your cardiovascular health and strengthens some of the muscles weakened through running, thereby reducing your chance of injury. Other recommended cross-training exercises include bodyweight exerciseslight gym work, swimmingyogapilatesand cycling.

Birds eye view photo of a running race in a city

Long Runs

Just like marathon prep, you should be factoring in one long, slow run every weekend. As a minimum, you want to have completed at least one marathon-length run before your 50k. 

Another worthwhile training technique is back-to-backs. This is running two long runs on consecutive days. This technique gets your body used to running on tired legs.  

Tapering For 50k

Tapering is the age-old marathon training technique of letting your training peak 4 weeks before your race and gradually backing off. 

Itโ€™s a nice rule of thumb that means youโ€™ve given yourself plenty of time for preparation.

Tapering minimizes the risk of injury prior to the race and means you should arrive at the start line in the best possible condition. 

However, youโ€™ll often find that itโ€™s harder to apply such a rigid structure to ultra-marathon training.

Many seasoned ultra-runners barely taper at all โ€“ they might just relax a bit more in the week leading up to the event.

Download The 50K Beginners Training Plan For Free:

just finish 50k ultramarathon training plan printable

Download The Training Plan Here

Enter your email, and Iโ€™ll send you this free training plan now, in PDF and Google Sheets formats (completely customizable), in both miles and kilometers.  

After entering your email, you’ll be prompted to create an account on the Grow platform we use to control access to the plans. It’s completely free – make sure to complete the process to gain access to the plan!

Previous visitor or not seeing where to sign up?

Head over to our ultramarathon training plan database for full access to all plans.

download the free training plan

Check Out The Premium Version of The 50k Just Finish Training Plan . . .

We’ve teamed with TrainingPeaks to offer a premium version of the 50k Just Finish Training Plan:

Access the plan via the TrainingPeaks website and app, track your workouts in real-time against the plan, and get performance data analysis on your progress.

Check out the premium 50k Just Finish marathon training plan here!

50k Training Plan - Just Finish (For First-Time Ultrarunners) 1
trainingpeaks training plan

Other Suggested Ultramarathon Training Plans

50k Ultramarathon Training Plans

50-Mile Ultramarathon Training Plans

100k Ultramarathon Training Plans

100-Mile Ultramarathon Training Plans

50k Training Plan - Just Finish (For First-Time Ultrarunners) 2
50k Training Plan - Just Finish (For First-Time Ultrarunners) 3

Proven Training Plans by a UESCA-Certified Running Coach 

Every one of our training plans has been developed by Thomas Watson, a UESCA-certified running coach.

Thomas is also a podium-finishing ultra-marathon runner and has dozens of marathons under his belt.

Each training plan has been road-tested by hundreds of runners, refined and improved, and is free to download and customize to suit your needs!