Built for Athletes
Who Go the Distance
Personalized 1:1 coaching for 50K, 50-mile, and 100-mile athletes. Work with a coach who's been where you're going.
Most people who sign up for an ultramarathon don't have a training problem. They have a preparation problem.
They log their miles. They follow the 18-week plan they found online. They might even hire a personal trainer to build their strength base. And then somewhere around mile 34 — when their legs are emptied, their gut is rebelling, and every rational thought is telling them to stop — they realize what the plan never actually prepared them for.
A good coach sees this coming from week one. They know that ultra-distance running fails in three places: physical breakdown, tactical error, and psychological collapse. A training plan — even a good one — only addresses the first. That's why DNF rates at 100-mile events routinely run 20 to 40 percent, even among experienced athletes who trained hard and showed up fit.
What separates 29029 Coaching from a generic fitness program is that we build all three into the same plan. The physical periodization, yes — but also the fueling rehearsal, the elevation simulation, and the mental frameworks for moving through the dark patches that every ultra runner eventually faces. Not as add-ons. As core disciplines built in from day one. Because the difference between a coached athlete and an uncoached one usually isn't fitness. It's what they do when everything goes wrong and they have to decide whether to keep going.
The Coaching Difference
An ultramarathon is any race longer than a marathon — starting at 50 kilometers and extending to 100 miles and beyond. Most are run on trails, which means elevation gain, technical terrain, and conditions that road running never prepares you for.
Coached training adapts continuously to your fitness, your schedule, and the specific demands of your target event. Unlike a generic plan, it doesn't stop when life intervenes.
- Builds a periodized training plan calibrated to your race, terrain, and timeline
- Manages your training load to reduce injury risk and maximize readiness
- Coaches your fueling and hydration strategy for events lasting 8 to 30+ hours
- Prepares you for the mental demands — because the final 20 miles are almost entirely psychological
- Adjusts the plan in real time when life intervenes: travel, illness, work demands
- Reviews your data — pace, heart rate, elevation, sleep — and spots patterns you'd miss on your own
A Personal Trainer Can Build Your Fitness.
We Build Your Finish.
Most fitness professionals aren't trained for the specific demands of ultra-distance events. Going 50 or 100 miles on trail requires a different kind of preparation — and a different kind of coach.
Physical Training
Ultramarathon-specific periodization: back-to-back long runs, elevation programming, fueling rehearsal, and strength work designed for trail terrain. Built around your race, your schedule, and how your body actually responds — not a generic template.
Mindset Development
Most coaches skip this. We don't. The psychological demands of going 50-plus miles are real and predictable — and that means they're trainable. Your coach builds mental preparation into every training block: race simulations, dark-patch protocols, and the specific cognitive strategies that separate finishers from DNFs.
Real Human Accountability
Not an app. Not a PDF. A coach who reads your training data every week, adjusts your plan when life gets complicated, and is personally invested in getting you to the finish line. The accountability of a real relationship is something a training plan simply cannot replicate.
Serious About the Work. Not Necessarily the Podium.
Our program is built for committed athletes, not elite ones. The athletes we work with tend to share a few things in common.
A Specific Goal
A first 50K finish. A 100-mile buckle. A return to a course that beat them. Whether you're stepping up from trail running or going straight to ultra — the goal doesn't need to be fast. It needs to be real.
Willing to Be Coached
Following a plan even when it feels conservative. Being honest about how training is going. Trusting the process over the quick fix.
Balancing Real Life
Most of our athletes are professionals with demanding jobs and families. We build plans that fit inside real schedules — not ideal ones.
The 1:1 Coaching Model
Not an algorithm. Not a template. A real human who knows your training history, watches how you respond week to week, and is fully invested in getting you to your goal.
Application & Match
We review your background, goals, and schedule, then match you with the coach whose experience and style is the right fit for your target event.
Personalized Training Plan
Your coach builds a periodized plan around your race date, current fitness, and life. It updates in real time as circumstances change.
Weekly Check-Ins
Every week, you and your coach connect — reviewing your data, discussing how your body is responding, and adjusting accordingly.
Race Strategy
Your coach develops a detailed race-day plan — pacing by segment, fueling schedule, mental checkpoints. You arrive knowing, not wondering.
Post-Race Debrief
The race is data. Your coach reviews what worked, what didn't, and uses it to inform what comes next.
The final 20 miles are
almost entirely
psychological.
We build that into the plan from the beginning. Not as an afterthought — as a core training discipline. Your coach prepares your body and your mind for the specific demands of the distance you've chosen.
Ultra Training Is Not Just Running More
It requires building capabilities that don't exist in marathon or shorter-distance training.
Back-to-Back Long Runs
Ultra training stacks long runs on consecutive days — simulating the cumulative fatigue you'll feel deep in a race. Your body learns to move efficiently when it's already tired.
Elevation-Specific Prep
Most ultras involve thousands of feet of gain. Your training needs significant vertical — and hiking is a legitimate, strategic tool your coach will program deliberately.
Fueling Under Fatigue
Eating and drinking during an ultra is a skill. Your gut behaves differently at hour six. Your coach builds fueling practice into training early, so you know what works before it matters.
Strength & Mobility
Trail running places specific demands on hips, glutes, and ankles. A structured strength program — built into your plan, not tacked on — significantly reduces injury risk on technical terrain.
Mental Preparation
The final miles of an ultramarathon are contested in your head. Your coach will prepare you for the specific psychological challenges of ultra running — the dark patches, the thoughts of quitting — and give you concrete frameworks for moving through them.
Practitioners,
Not Theorists
29029 Coaching's ultramarathon coaches are experienced athletes who have trained for and competed in ultra-distance events themselves. Every coach on our roster has finished the distance they coach.
Jen Segger
Ultra Running · Adventure Racing · 20+ Years Elite
A proper badass who has been racing at the highest levels of ultra running and adventure racing for over two decades. Jen has competed in some of the most demanding endurance events on the planet and brings that hard-won experience directly to athletes preparing for their biggest challenges.
Nicki Coghill
Mountain Running · Trail Ultra · Firefighter
Accomplished mountain athlete who completed the Leadville Marathon, 50-miler, and 100-miler in the same calendar year. Nicki coaches from the perspective of an athlete who has been tested at every ultra distance — and who knows what it takes to keep showing up when things get hard.
Brent Pease
Head Coach · 29029 Experience · Since 2017
29029's Head Coach since the very first climb in 2017. Brent created the 29029 training guide and has helped thousands of athletes reach their summits. He brings structure, accountability, and a deep understanding of what athletes need both physically and mentally to perform at their best.
Real Results.
Real Relationships.
"A year ago I had never run more than a half marathon. I honestly thought people who ran ultras were a different breed. Coach Paul didn't laugh at me when I said that — he just said 'let's start where you are.' He built everything around what I could actually do, not what some training book says. I finished my first 50K and I still can't really believe it. The person who crossed that line is not the same person who signed up. Not even close."— Sarah M., 44 · First 50K Finish
"I hit a really dark place around mile 60 of my hundred miler. Like truly wanted to stop. But Brent had told me weeks before — 'you're going to want to quit somewhere between 55 and 70, and that's normal, it doesn't mean anything is wrong.' When it happened I remembered that conversation and it got me through. Brent prepared my mind as much as my body and thats the reason I finished."— James T., 51 · 100-Mile Finish
"I travel for work constantly, I've got three kids and a wife who was skeptical about the whole thing. Jen never once made me feel like my life was an obstacle. She worked around my travel schedule, gave me hotel workouts when I was on the road, and even helped me talk to my wife about what the time commitment would actually look like. That level of caring about my whole situation and not just my miles — that's what made it work."— Michael R., 46 · First 50-Mile Finish
"The thing nobody tells you about ultra training is how much it changes you outside of running. I'm calmer at work now. I handle stress differently. When things get hard in my life I think about what I went through in training and in the race and I know I can deal with it. Coach Eric always said the goal isn't just to cross a finish line, its to become someone who knows they can do hard things. He was right."— Dana L., 39 · 50-Mile Finish
Everything You Need to Know
How many miles a week do I need?
For a 50K, most athletes peak around 40–55 miles per week. For a 100-miler, peak weeks often reach 70–90 miles — though quality matters more than raw volume. Your coach determines the right load for your situation.
Can I train while working full time?
Yes — and most of our athletes do. A good coach builds plans that work within your actual schedule. Commute runs, lunch runs, early mornings, and weekends are all part of the toolkit.
How long does it take to train for a 50K?
Athletes with a solid base typically benefit from a 20–24 week program. Less base means a longer runway. Your coach will assess your starting point and build a timeline accordingly.
Do I need to have run a marathon first?
No. What you need is a solid aerobic base and the right preparation. A coach is especially valuable for athletes new to ultra distance — the margin for going in underprepared is lower than in shorter events.
What if I get injured during training?
Injury is an expected part of any long training block. Your coach adjusts the plan — modifying volume, shifting modes, protecting your race goal wherever possible. The coaching relationship doesn't stop when things get hard.
Is ultramarathon coaching worth the investment?
DNF rates in ultramarathons are significant — often 20–40% in challenging 100-mile events. Well-coached athletes arrive knowing their fueling strategy, their pacing plan, and what they'll do when it gets hard. That preparation is the difference.
Ready to Get Started?
Your ultramarathon is out there. The path to the finish line starts with the right coach — and a plan built around you.
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