Hill repeats calculator

Plan the hill reps, the jog back down and how much climbing you will do.

Your details

8 × 200 m hill reps

20 min

plus warm up and cool down

Each climb1:00
Jog or walk back downabout 1:30 (1.5 times the climb; add your own to change it)
Total climbing96 m, at 720 m an hour while climbing
Climb pace5:00 per km
Energy over resting (Minetti 2002)about 201 kcal: 132 going up and 70 jogging back down
Energy cost on this gradient1.4 times the flat (Minetti 2002)
Same effort on the flatabout 3:39 per km, a rough guide

Run up strong, not flat out, and recover fully on the way down. A 5 to 8% hill of 60 to 90 seconds is a classic first session.

Pain that is sharp, gets worse as you go, or is still there days later is a reason to see a GP or physio.

The gradient

Why hills feel hard

Running uphill costs more energy per metre. Minetti and colleagues measured it on a treadmill: on a 6% hill it is about 1.4 times the flat. So 200 m in 60 seconds, which is 5:00 per km, is roughly the effort of 3:39 per km on the flat. Treat that as a rough guide: wind, footing and fitness all change it, and run the reps by effort, not the watch.

The working

8 × 200 m at 6%

Each climb takes 60 seconds and the jog down about 90. Eight climbs and eight recoveries is 20 minutes, with 96 m of climbing, plus your warm up and cool down.

Energy and climbing

Up and back down

Minetti's measurements give the net energy of running per kg per metre on any slope: about 4.9 J going up 6% and 2.6 J coming down, against 3.6 on the flat. At 11 st, 8 × 200 m at 6% is about 201 kcal over resting: 132 going up and 70 jogging back. While climbing you gain 96 m in 8 minutes, a rate of 720 m an hour. Walk down in 2 minutes instead and the session takes 24 minutes.

Session ideas

Classic hills

Session	Use
10 × 10 seconds steep	power and form
6 to 10 × 60 to 90 seconds	strength and speed
4 × 3 minutes	hilly races

Form

Up the hill

Short, quick steps
Drive the arms
Look ahead, not at your feet
Jog down gently

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

DownhillSteep descents load the legs; take them slowly.
EffortIt cannot tell how hard you ran.
InjuryAchilles or calf trouble? Use gentler hills.

Questions

Common questions

How many hill repeats should I do?

6 to 10 for most runners.

How long should hill repeats be?

60 to 90 seconds is a good start.

Do hill reps make you faster?

They build strength and speed with less pounding than flat sprints.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Before you push on

New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.