runna.com

Potentially dangerous for ultra training

I signed up to Runna specifically because they advertise themselves as suitable for all distances, including 100km plans. Unfortunately, my experience has shown that this claim is misleading at best, and potentially dangerous at worst.The 100km plan structure is deeply flawed. Most weeks consist of a couple of very short runs midweek, followed by one huge “expedition” run at the weekend. This kind of load distribution is not appropriate for ultra training and significantly increases injury risk. There’s insufficient cumulative volume, poor fatigue management, and no sensible progression for the demands of a 100km race.When I raised these concerns, the feedback was essentially brushed off with “we’re planning to improve this in the future.” That doesn’t help athletes who are paying now and trusting the plan now with their health and training.I was also explicitly told that Runna would help me amend the plan to make it safer and more appropriate. That support never actually materialised. The plan remained unchanged, and I was left to either follow something I didn’t believe was safe or abandon it altogether.To make matters worse, I paid for a full year upfront, based on their marketing that they support ultra distances. When it became clear that they don’t adequately support this level of training, Runna would not pause the plan, adjust my subscription, or refund the difference. I’ve effectively been penalised for trusting their advertising.Runna may work well for shorter distances, but in its current state it is not suitable for serious ultra runners, and certainly not for 100km preparation. Until their ultra plans are properly rebuilt, and their customer support becomes more accountable, I can’t recommend it to anyone training beyond standard marathon distances.

Date of experience: Jan 27, 2026