100K Trail Poles: A Safe Practice Progression

The short answer

Use poles for a 100K only when the current event rules permit them and your training shows they improve control or distribute work without creating handling, safety or fueling problems. Learn length, planting, stowing and passing while fresh. Then add steep hiking, gentle descending and fatigue one at a time.

Small studies suggest poles can alter foot loading and perceived effort on some slopes, but energetic effects are modest or context-dependent.13 That does not prove poles are faster for every athlete, terrain or course.

The event-permission gate

Before buying or practising a race system, verify from the current official athlete guide:

• whether poles are allowed at all;
• whether they are allowed for the full course or only sections;
• required tip protection or equipment rules;
• where they may be collected or dropped;
• crew and drop-bag restrictions;
• passing, environmental and safety instructions.

If the official guide is unclear, ask the organizer through a human-reviewed official channel. Do not rely on a previous edition or another runner’s memory.

Decide what job the poles have

A clear job makes the test measurable. “Everyone uses them” is not a job.

Fit and handling session

Use a flat, uncrowded, permitted area with a qualified coach if needed.

Practise:

1. adjusting both poles to the intended setup;
2. holding straps only according to the manufacturer and context;
3. walking with tips landing away from feet;
4. stopping without pointing poles toward others;
5. folding or stowing while stationary;
6. retrieving without dropping pack contents;
7. carrying poles when their use is inappropriate.

Do not begin on a technical descent. Handling errors are easiest to correct on flat ground.

A five-stage terrain progression

Stage 1: flat walking

Walk easily and find a natural alternating rhythm. Practise giving another person space and switching to a carried position.

Stage 2: moderate uphill hiking

Use short intervals on a safe climb. Compare the same route with and without poles on separate repetitions. Record time, breathing, leg effort, upper-body effort and handling errors.

Stage 3: steep hiking

Only after Stage 2 is stable, test a steeper permitted route. A treadmill study found small reductions in vertical cost on some steep grades and lower perceived effort at several grades, but it involved 14 mountain-running athletes under controlled conditions.2 Treat it as a reason to test, not a promised saving.

Stage 4: gentle descent

Use a wide, nontechnical descent with clear visibility. Keep tips in view, avoid reaching far ahead and stop if placement becomes unpredictable. Trail-running research with ten runners found slope-specific changes in foot-ground interaction, not a universal downhill performance benefit.1

Stage 5: course-specific combination

Rehearse deploying before a climb, hiking, stowing on safe ground, eating or drinking, passing and restarting a run. Keep the session bounded and leave technical terrain for qualified instruction and suitable conditions.

Compare poles and no poles honestly

Use the same safe climb on similar days. Complete two or three submaximal repetitions in randomized or alternating order if practical.

Record:

• elapsed time;
• heart rate only if already used consistently;
• leg and upper-body perceived effort;
• breathing control;
• foot placement errors;
• hand or shoulder symptoms;
• time to stow and resume running.

One fast repetition may reflect learning, weather or effort. Repeat before deciding. A field walking study found energy expenditure could change with load and pole use, while another hiking study reported higher physiological responses without higher perceived exertion.4 “Feels easier” and “uses less energy” are not always the same claim.

Practise fueling and aid stations

Poles occupy hands that also need bottles, food, zips and layers. During a controlled hike, practise:

• stowing before entering a crowded station;
• refilling without placing poles where others can trip;
• eating while walking only when handling remains safe;
• keeping tips away from volunteers and runners;
• leaving with poles secured before accelerating.

Use the 100K aid-station rehearsal for the complete stop sequence. If poles make the routine unreliable, simplify before race day.

Build the supporting qualities

Poles shift some work to the upper body; they do not remove the need for leg strength, hiking economy, aerobic capacity or downhill preparation.

Use recoverable pulling, pressing, trunk and grip work where appropriate. Keep shoulder volume conservative when pole practice increases. Concurrent strength and endurance training can improve both qualities, but weekly sequence and accumulated fatigue matter.8

The flat-ground mountain-training guide can build incline and hiking work. A steep treadmill is still not technical trail, and treadmill pole use must follow equipment and facility rules.

Passing and environmental etiquette

• Shorten or carry poles before close passing.
• Never plant between another runner’s feet.
• Give verbal notice and wait for safe space.
• Keep tips on durable course surfaces where rules require it.
• Do not use poles to move vegetation or leave the marked route.
• Follow any course-specific restrictions immediately.

Race density and terrain may make a technique that works alone inappropriate in a group.

Safety boundaries

Use manufacturer-approved equipment in good condition. Check locks before each session. Stop for a collapsed pole, uncontrolled tip placement or new hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, back or balance symptoms.

Do not use poles during thunderstorms where equipment and exposure create additional risk; follow local emergency guidance. Do not practise alone in remote technical terrain. Chest pain, fainting, severe breathlessness, confusion or a traumatic fall require emergency or qualified medical response.

What the research cannot establish

The studies cited here use small samples, controlled grades, fixed speeds or hiking contexts.14 They cannot establish a universal finish-time benefit, injury-prevention effect, ideal pole length or technique for a 100K. A recent simulated trail study adds useful mechanics data but still does not reproduce your course, pack, fatigue or crowding.6

Use evidence to design a test. Use the official event rules and repeated safe training to make the decision.

Race-week checklist

• Confirm current permission and collection/drop rules.
• Inspect locks, tips and stowing system.
• Keep only brief familiar handling.
• Do not introduce straps, gloves or a new pack attachment.
• Know when poles remain stowed.
• Use the passing and aid-station behavior already practised.

This guide is educational, not medical advice or a substitute for qualified trail-skills instruction.

Choose 100K trail and your event date in 26weeks.ai so pole practice can sit inside the complete adaptive build. Start training with 26weeks.ai.

References

1. Daviaux Y, et al. Effect of poles on foot-ground kinetics during trail running. 2013. (PubMed)
2. Giovanelli N, et al. Do poles save energy during steep uphill walking? 2019. (PubMed)
3. Giovanelli N, et al. Do poles “save the legs” during uphill walking? 2023. (PubMed)
4. Barbosa TM, et al. Backpack load and trekking poles during field walking. 2018. (PubMed)
5. Foissac MJ, et al. Physiological responses to hiking with trekking poles. 2008. (PubMed)
6. Giovanelli N, et al. Pole use, vertical cost and foot force after simulated trail running. 2025. (PubMed)
7. Jacobson BH, et al. Trekking poles and downhill hiking with external loads. 2007. (PubMed)
8. Huiberts RO, et al. Concurrent strength and endurance training meta-analysis. 2024. (PubMed)