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Robbie Britton

@ultrabritton

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Ultra coach & athlete
24hr 277km
MSc Performance Coaching
Sports Nutrition PGDip
🥤🍬 @precisionfandh
👕 @chancerunning
🇮🇹🏡 @coggiola.endurance

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Often as a coach people think the most important things about running are the complicated, science heavy topics and questions that make the biggest difference but that is rarely the case.

Simple questions like “what should I do when I accidentally run long” might not seem that important but it could easily be reframed as an athlete running 10% more than they should on every single run and wondering why they feel tired when it comes their key sessions in a training block.

What do you do if you realise you’re not going to make it home on time? Are you always running your last loop around the house to make sure you don’t or have you get a set of training routes that have been tried and tested for decades?

Running training doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple, consistent work that allows progression over time is the key. by @ultrabritton

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11 hours ago

Running drills aren’t just for elite athletes. They can help every runner.

A few minutes before a session or race can help improve coordination, reinforce good movement patterns and prepare your body for faster running.

Some of our go-to drills and pre-run activation include:
• Leg Swings
• Crossovers (or Carioca)
• Hamstring Sweeps
• Ankle Taps
• ⁠Kick outs
• ⁠Lunge with knee drive
• A & B skips
• Strides

The goal isn’t to do them perfectly. It’s to move with purpose and gradually prepare your body for what’s coming next.

Start with just 5–10 minutes before one quality session each week and focus on smooth, relaxed movements rather than speed.

Do you include running drills in your training, or do you usually skip them?

@tom_runs always does his drills and he’s got his first run for Great Britain in September at the World 100k Champs. Coincidence? 🤷‍♂️ by @ultrabritton

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2 days ago

🎙️New podcast🎙️

Coaches Robbie Britton and Sarah Cameron talk through the importance of post race reflection, when it’s best done and give tips on how learn the most from your recent races.

To finish they give a practical example of an ultramarathon coach and athlete reflecting together on Robbie’s recent 135km trail race at the @qcmegatrail as part of the @worldtrailmajors

🎧Listen on the @centurionrunning website in the podcast section or subscribe to the pod on your preferred platform. #linkinbio

Podcast in partnership with @precisionfandh

📷: @sarahlamos by @ultrabritton

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10 days ago

Currently sitting happy in 4th on the @worldtrailmajors rankings after 11th @mt.fuji100 and 8th @qcmegatrail. Not bad for a 24hr road runner!

Now, I’m sure a few people are thinking “but Robbie @halfasianchris @jonalbon and @hanstroyer are way better than you are and lower in the rankings?”

That’s where understanding how it works is key, because you get two races to score in, but with 1500 points for a win you’re already right up there. My two lower performances clocked over 2000 points for the two events, but if any one of those chaps just finishes another event this year they’ll leap frog me most likely.

With @vietnammountainmarathon @gpt100miler and @utct still to come there are a lot of people who could get in the top 10 and even still take the top spot and prize money.

Realistically my score was good enough for 10th last year, but I think the standard and interest in the World Trail Majors is growing year on year so I’ll be lucky to stay in the top 10 this time round. Already planning on a couple more races next year to try and improve for 2027 though.

Do you think I have a chance of staying in there? by @ultrabritton

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11 days ago

Given that it’s Hardrock weekend and the answer is always “hike” when it comes to that race (or any other that is at super high altitude) it feels like a good time to mention a key skill in ultra marathons and trails.

Going up a hill faster isn’t always the best way to reach the finish line as quickly as possible.

Hiking is a lower stress on smaller muscles like your calves, generally a bit easier on the lungs and can even be made easier on the legs by bringing in hiking poles to take some of that workload onto the arms (ultra-runners are know for having great arm cannons…)

Knowing when to break into a hike could be as simple as saying that anything over 12 minute miles is more efficient as a hike than a run, but that’s an over simplification and it could well depend on the race distance, heat, altitude or how far you are from the finish line.

Ideally in a longer race you want to get to the top of the hill and be able to move off easily, whether it’s downhill or flat next (or uphill, sometimes a hill finishes with another hill. Life can be cruel like that).

It can also be tied to your training and how much hiking you have been doing yourself, because it’s less likely to be efficient if you haven’t been training it.

I always remember when @axelnichols said to me that you need to know when to hike and when to run again on a climb and it’s something I’ve thought about on nearly every uphill since.

Practice in your long runs, think about it in your races and if you’re asking the question “should I hike this bit” then you probably should. If you’re asking if you should run then the answer is probably yes as well, but make sure you have the energy, hydration status and muscular endurance to get to the top of the climb and down the other side (unless it’s a VK then take the gondola down). by @ultrabritton

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15 days ago

RACE REPORT: After pulling my calf 5 days out from the race I wasn’t even sure I would make the start line, let alone the finish, but thanks to some good advice from @petervanderzon91 and an unusual amount of patience (a test run each day would have made it worse so I had to wait until the day before the race to test it) I was able to toe the line of the @qcmegatrail as part of the @worldtrailmajors on Friday night.

The pace from the start was nice, I let a group go up the road including eventual winner Kamil Laniak and @chancerunning team mate @v_lar (we turned up wearing identical outfits) and hiked a bit earlier than I might have done usually to try and warm the calf into the race. The trail itself was brilliantly challenging with a lot of roots and rocks, but gradients that suited me and made it a lot of fun on the descents.

The pain in my calf gradually built from a 1/10 to 2-3/10 over the first 20km but then it seemed to settle just there. By the time I got to the first crew point at 40k and saw my excellent crew of @jamesduffley and @sarahlamos I was starting to pick people off and really get into my stride.

As is the way, ultra-running has a way of bringing you back down to ground when you feel good and on a reasonably non-technical dirt/rocky road I caught a rock and hit the ground hard about 45k in. I honestly lay there for a minute thinking I might not be able to get up and would have to call the chopper in. 😂

So the positive: my calf was no longer that painful, but only relative to the lump going out of my hip. The blood on my arm made the pictures look cooler though.

As the night went on I didn’t see many people apart from the brilliant volunteers at aid stations like Cap Salut and Cap Gribane, although I did meet a porcupine on the trail and have to squeeze past.

I faded a bit around 90k, falling again on the same leg and the pain getting a bit much, but James and Sarah kept me in good spirits at every checkpoint, the @precisionfandh 90g gels kept going down (with some Sour Patch Kids and rice from CPs) and on we went.

Continued in comments… (nearly there) by @ultrabritton

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18 days ago

Completed it!

135km @qcmegatrail in 19hrs 55mins

A very fast 5km finish for Robbie overtaking two people on the way home.

They'll be more of an insight from Robbie when he's had some rest.

A huge congratulations for getting it done on a not very easy day.

Superb support from a brilliant crew @sarahlamos and @jamesduffley by @ultrabritton

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21 days ago

Maintaining focus and keeping on moving forward.
Legs are sore, hip is sore but that finish is getting closer!

🎬 @jamesduffley by @ultrabritton

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21 days ago

100km done, 35km to go!

A naughty section where they pass the finish to carry on the next 35km section.
Another fall on the hip on that last part slowed everything down for Robbie. But he's determined to get this finished.

He's also picked up his pacer @jamesduffley for the remainder of the race - they'll have lots to talk about I'm sure 😉

📸 @sarahlamos by @ultrabritton

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21 days ago

A little tumble on the way to the 80km aid station - banged his hip and has some cuts and muddy legs.
But after a quick pit stop Robbie was up and away, chasing down the runners ahead.
Calf also seems good 👌

📸 @sarahlamos by @ultrabritton

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21 days ago

80km of the 135km @qcmegatrail ticked off.

A fall on the last section, but all seems ok and the calf is holding up well.

Heading towards the 100km mark which is actually at the finish and then a 35km loop 🙄 to finish the race.

Top crewing by @sarahlamos and @jamesduffley by @ultrabritton

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22 days ago

All good at the 40km aid station.

@jamesduffley ensuring Robbie was all stocked up on @precisionfandh chews and gels for the next section.

Calf seems to be holding up 🤞🤞

🎬 @sarahlamos by @ultrabritton

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22 days ago