Tom Evans – Pushing Limits in the World of Ultrarunning
Article by Tait Hearps of Sweat Elite
A few weeks ago we sat down to record a podcast episode with British athlete Tom Evans for some insight into his life as an ultrarunner. Having only recently devoted himself to running full-time – leaving the military to focus on athletics – as we sat down Tom said, “I’m really excited to share some of my knowledge, some of my wisdom that I’ve built up over my very short running career so far.” Throughout our conversation, which you can listen to here, Tom shared captivating anecdotes of his journey into ultrarunning and a wealth of information on his training that has taken him to where he is now.
Articulate and charming, Tom Evans, an ex-captain in the Welsh Guards, has had an unorthodox trajectory to reach the upper echelon of the ultrarunning world. The now twenty-eight-year-old initially tested the turbulent waters of ultras by diving headfirst into the scalding Saharan vortex that is the 251km self-supported stage race, Marathon Des Sables. What’s more is that this came about from a bet in a pub, where Tom thought that he could outdo some mates who had recently placed in the top three hundred of the 2016 edition of the race.
With six months of preparation – self-coached, with no proper training plan and without much direction – Tom managed to place third in the 2017 MDS. A slew of impressive results followed, with Tom taking out first place at the 2018 edition of the 100km Ultra-Trail Mont Blanc CCC event and third at the Western States Endurance Race hundred miler in 2019 – becoming the first non-American to go sub-15 hours at the event. Tom prepared for some of these mountain races whilst still based in London. When asked about how this worked, he responded “running is running, no matter where you’re doing it.” But he also admits that he had to run some sessions that were a bit “outside the box.”
Growing up in the UK, Evans says he was always sporty at school, competing in a variety of sports, including running. But running was never a priority and was generally used as a tool for other sports. After leaving school, Tom entered training for the army, and was admitted into the Welsh Guards. He credits his time here as a crucial part of his success. The training was very non-specific for running, but the long hours spent on feet, doing work that built a solid foundation of general aerobic capacity, as well as strength, put him in a great position when he eventually made the transition to ultras. That transition came gradually with the stream of impressive results after the initial success at MDS. As Evans puts it, after he placed third at the trail running world championships, “at that point I knew I was able to compete with the best in the world having only been in the sport for 12 months.”
We delve into some of his preparation for his recent performances. The military background shines through, meticulous preparation goes into everything. Tom would even attend sessions in a gym with a folder of laminated sheets with the elevation profiles of the climbs he would face in upcoming races. “Being a professional athlete, you are training to perform your best when you’re feeling your best,” he says. “In the army, you are taught to perform your best when you are feeling your worst.”
When he decided to come into the sport as a professional, Tom says he perceived a relative lack of preparation by some of the athletes in the ultra world, compared to those preparing for top level marathon races. Why not apply the techniques used to improve performance in more mainstream, traditionally competitive branches of running and other sports?
“I want to be the best prepared for every race, leave no stone unturned in my quest to become the best athlete I can be.” His running is hugely supplemented with strength and conditioning work. The emphasis isn’t just on lifting heavy weights, he says that training balance and static holds is also crucial for the uneven terrain covered on the trails. Evans describes his training as “marathon plus” training. It’s a little more specific building into certain races, but “overall it looks similar to marathon training with a little more volume.”
It was a bold choice to make his debut in the hundred mile distance by tackling the marquee, original hundred mile race, the Western States Endurance Race. Leading up to the race, which took place in the Sierras of California last June, Tom travelled to the Ethiopian highlands to prepare. He says he took a lot out of the experience. Learning the importance of running to feel, as splits became noise whilst covering the rough terrain at 2700m altitude. Ethiopia highlighted importance of simplicity, seeing the athletes training there and how much they focussed on recovery, resting throughout the day, sometimes taking two naps in a day. As Tom puts it, “peeling everything back to make it simple, and not overcomplicating things. Because running doesn’t have to be complicated.”
After a rocky start, the miles through the forests of Sululta started to pay off. He joined some of the training sessions of Zane Robertson, in the final week of his stay he managed to do a tempo run with the Kiwi marathoner and some other local athletes, holding on until the end of the race-pace workout. After this he knew he was ready. His training in Ethiopia culminated in an eight hour long run, in which he covered over 100km on the hills of Entoto. And come race day Tom says everything went as well as he could have hoped for, covering the hundred miles in a time that would have won him the race in most other years it has been run.
Take a listen to the full podcast to hear the rest of Tom’s story. Throughout our conversation we dive into myriad other conversation topics, some highlights include:
- The changes occurring in the sport of ultrarunning, increased participation and professionalisation.
- The importance of simplicity in training.
- How Tom goes about developing versatility in his running, and trains to be able to perform at a high level in distances from 10km all the way to the hundred miler.
- The importance of reaching out to others for help when required, and how crucial having a team to support you is.
- Nutrition.
- Training partners: “For anyone looking to improve, yes you can do it on your own, but actually, with a group, with some training partners, it just makes everything so much more attainable. It makes everything feel so much easier. It’s then much easier to achieve what you want to achieve if you’re on a journey with a group of people.”
- Importance of not being afraid to cut down volume and focus on really high quality.
- Tom’s preparation for other races such as the Tarawera Ultramarathon – where he recently set a course record – and British XC championships.
- Upcoming races and plans for the future.
- Tom’s two parting mantras: “Process not outcome.” Focus on each run, in order to get to the desired end state. “Create an environment where success is inevitable.” Something he has tried to foster around himself with the team he has built to help propel him towards his goals.
- As well as a bunch of key sessions that Tom uses in preparing for these races…
Example sessions
8 x 1km in 2”45 on the road
4 x 8min at 10km pace (3:00min/km) (2700m altitude)
6 x 5 min hill reps, relaxed jog back down
6 x 1mile
Long runs
20 miles at 3:08-3:10.
30 mins marathon pace, 18 mins half marathon pace, 8 mins 10km pace
XC preparation sessions
5 x (1 mile, 60s hill rep)
8 x 1km picking up last 200 – 3:02 down to 2:52 – on grass
