The trail respects the prepared.
Trail Running Race Preparation System
Get a personalized trail running training plan built for your race, your fitness level, and the elevation you’ll face.
Everything in one place—from your first training session to race day.
Sound familiar?
Hope is not a race strategy. A system is.
Most trail runners train consistently. But race preparation is more than running. Without a structured system, every decision becomes a guess — from pacing and elevation to fueling and recovery.
Before stezia
With stezia
“I hope I’m ready.”
You run. You train hard. You hope it’s enough — but you don’t really know if your zones, volume, and elevation match the race ahead.
You know you’re ready.
Every session has a purpose. Every week moves you closer to race day with the right load, vertical, and recovery.
A plan made for someone else.
Wrong race. Wrong terrain. Wrong preparation. On race day, it’s your mountains — but someone else’s plan.
A plan built for your race.
Your distance. Your elevation. Your terrain. Your timeline. The plan adapts to the course you’re actually running.
Hope on race day.
Too fast at the start. Too little fuel. Too much guessing. You finish — but not the way you wanted.
Confidence on race day.
Know your pace, fueling, hiking points, and recovery rhythm. Race day becomes execution — not improvisation.
- This isn’t motivation. It’s a preparation system.
Your preparation system
Everything you need to reach the start line prepared.
Training plan, progress journal, methodology, gear, fueling, race strategy, and recovery — connected inside one trail running preparation system.
How stezia builds your plan
Your race is the blueprint.
STEZIA starts with you. It analyzes your running level, ITRA Performance Index, age, weekly training volume, and race goals to build a personalized preparation plan. Every training phase is adapted to your race, elevation gain, and timeline—from Base and Build to Peak, Taper, and race day.
Athlete profile
Your ITRA PI, weekly mileage, age and available weeks
Your plan adapts to your current fitness, training background, time until race day, and realistic weekly capacity.
RACE profile
Race distance, elevation gain (D+), terrain, and race date.
The system uses your race demands to define the training direction — not just a random weekly mileage target.
Progressive preparation
Load, elevation, recovery, and taper
Each phase builds the right adaptation at the right time so you arrive prepared — not exhausted.
Built from experience.
Trail running requires more than running.
Progressive mileage
Build weekly volume without sudden spikes.
Elevation gain progression
Prepare your legs for climbs and descents.
Periodized training blocks
Base, Build, Peak, and Taper with clear purpose.
Race-day strategy
Periodized training blocks
Base, Build, Peak, and Taper with clear purpose.
Recovery support
Balance adaptation with rest and readiness.
Progress analytics
Understand consistency, load, D+, and trends.
How stezia builds your plan
Built for runners preparing for real trail races.
First trail race
Start with structure, confidence, and a plan that explains what to do each week.
Scientific periodization
BASE → BUILD1 → BUILD2 → PEAK → TAPER. A deload week every third cycle. No more than 10% volume increase per week.
Built around you and your race
Every training plan is shaped by your current level and the real demands of your goal race.
From first steps to the summit
Training plans, a running journal, expert guidance, fueling and hydration calculators, and everything you need to arrive prepared on race day.
Start preparing
Build your trail running training plan.
Enter your race, your level, and your timeline. STEZIA helps you prepare with structure — from your first training session to race day.
Free to get started. No register required.
Real Stories
What Happens When You Train with STEZIA.
Slovakia · 28K +2 100m
For the first time in my life, I stood on the start line knowing I was ready. I wasn’t hoping—I knew. It’s a feeling you can’t describe until you’ve experienced it yourself.
Italy · 54K · +3,400 m
The biggest difference wasn’t my fitness—it was having a clear plan. Every week had a purpose, and on race day I never questioned what to do next.
France · 42K · +2,700 m
The race was exactly as demanding as I expected because my training reflected the course. Long climbs, technical descents, fueling, pacing—nothing felt unfamiliar.
Spain · 21K · +1,250 m
I came from road running and didn’t know how to train for the mountains. STEZIA made the transition simple, and I finished my first trail race with confidence.
Switzerland · 38K · +3,350 m
The race plan became my checklist before the start. Gear, fueling, checkpoints, pacing—everything was organized, so I could focus entirely on running.
I built STEZIA because I needed a system—not a coach. I couldn’t find a simple tool that truly understood trail running or the unique demands of preparing for a specific race.
Mountain trail running isn’t just about running farther. It’s about elevation gain, technical terrain, long climbs, descents, and managing a very different training load.
STEZIA brings everything together in one simple, structured system—so you can prepare for your race with confidence, using a plan built specifically for trail running.
FAQ’s
Trail running race preparation questions
I’m New to Trail Running. Is STEZIA for Me?
Absolutely. STEZIA is designed for runners at every level—from your very first trail race to long-distance mountain ultras.
When you join, STEZIA learns about your current fitness, running experience, weekly training volume, age, and your goal race. It then builds a plan that matches where you are today—not where an experienced athlete is.
Your training progresses gradually with structured periodization, recovery weeks, and sustainable volume increases, so you build confidence without jumping into workouts you’re not ready for.
Whether you’re preparing for your first 10K trail race or dreaming of your first summit finish, STEZIA guides you step by step—from your first run to race day.
How is it different from a generic training plan?
Most training plans are built around distance and time. STEZIA is built around your race.
Instead of giving everyone the same schedule, STEZIA analyzes your race distance, elevation gain (D+), terrain, race date, current fitness, weekly running volume, age, and performance level to create a personalized preparation plan.
It doesn’t just tell you how many kilometers to run. It prepares you for the actual demands of your race—long climbs, technical descents, hiking strategy, fueling, recovery, and progressive elevation training.
STEZIA is more than a training plan. It’s a complete trail race preparation system that guides you from registration to the finish line.
I already use Strava, Garmin, or another running app. Do I still need STEZIA?
es. STEZIA doesn’t replace Strava or Garmin—it complements them.
Strava and Garmin record what you’ve already done: your runs, pace, heart rate, elevation, and performance data.
STEZIA answers a different question: What should you do next to be ready for your race?
It builds a structured preparation plan based on your goal race, fitness level, weekly running volume, elevation gain (D+), terrain, and race date. It also brings together everything you need for race day—including training, periodization, fueling, hydration, race strategy, required equipment, and your complete race roadmap.
Think of it this way:
- Strava and Garmin track your training.
- STEZIA plans your journey to the finish line.
What does “D+ altitude plan” mean?
In trail running, D+ means the total elevation gain you’ll climb during a race.
A road marathon and a 30 km trail race can have the same distance—but they require completely different preparation if one includes 2,000 meters (6,500 ft) of climbing.
STEZIA doesn’t train you only for the distance. It also prepares you for the elevation gain your race demands by progressively building climbing strength, hiking ability, downhill resilience, and vertical endurance throughout your training cycle.
Your plan is tailored to the actual D+ of your race, so you’re preparing for the mountains you’ll face—not just the kilometers you’ll cover.
What is ITRA PI, and is it necessary?
ITRA Performance Index (PI) is a trail running rating that estimates your current performance level based on your recent race results.
If you already have an ITRA PI, STEZIA uses it as one of the inputs to better personalize your training plan.
Don’t have one? No problem.
ITRA PI is completely optional. STEZIA can accurately build your plan using your current fitness, weekly running volume, age, experience, and your goal race. As you gain experience and complete more races, you can always add your ITRA PI later to make your plan even more precise.
The goal isn’t to have a score. The goal is to arrive at your start line fully prepared.
Can I create a plan for my own race?
Yes. If your race isn’t already in the STEZIA library, you can create it yourself in just a few minutes.
Simply enter the race name, distance, elevation gain (D+), terrain, date, and any important details such as the mandatory equipment list or organizer’s requirements.
STEZIA will use this information to build a personalized training plan designed specifically for that race—not a generic template. You can also make your race public so other runners preparing for the same event can use it too.
Can I show my plan to my coach or friends?
Yes. Every race in STEZIA includes a Share button, making it easy to send your training plan to your coach, training partners, or friends.
You can also share your Progress page, so others can see how your preparation is going, how much you’ve completed, and how you’re progressing toward race day.
Whether you want feedback from a coach or simply want to keep your friends updated, sharing your journey takes just one tap.
What happens to my plan after I finish the race?
Nothing is lost. Every completed race becomes part of your running history.
After you finish, you record your official finish time, and the race is automatically moved to your Completed Races section. Your results and training data are saved, giving STEZIA a better understanding of your progress as an athlete.
This history helps STEZIA create even more accurate and personalized training plans for your future races, so each new preparation is built on your real experience—not from scratch.
The finish line isn’t the end of your journey. It’s the starting point for your next adventure.