Speed Hiking vs Trail Running | Major Comparisons

Last updated on April 14th, 2021 at 05:21 pm

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Hiking and trail running may be similar in ways, but their primary differentiator is always going to be speed. Trail runners are inherently focused on how fast they can move through a stretch of trail, while hikers tend to be less focused on pace. While it shouldn’t matter which activity wins in a speed hiking vs trail running comparison it is worth matching the two activities together to see how they stack up.

There may be some common ground in speed hiking and trail running, however. In fact, many of us may already be speed hiking without knowing it. Let’s explore a bit more about how these two wonderful activities compare.

What is Speed Hiking?

The answer to this probably depends on who you ask. Some consider speed hiking to be any type of hiking where minimal gear is packed for the journey. Having less gear means you will be able to move faster. This definition is a bit more related to fastpacking, which we cover below.

For simplicity sake, Deeper Trails defines speed hiking as: any distance of trail navigation done faster than a walk, but slower than a run, where additional gear isn’t necessarily required.

How is Speed Hiking Different than Standard Hiking?

The intent of hiking is to take in the surroundings while traversing interesting, and sometimes difficult terrain. It is most common for hikes to be tackled by walking the routes. In other words, the primary focus isn’t on speed. Instead, the primary focus of hiking is to progress naturally while taking in the scenery.

Speed hikers still want to take in the scenery, but their goal is simply to see more of that scenery in a set amount of time. Some speed hikers still wear backpacks, but it should be noted that speed hiking doesn’t require packs, sleeping bags, tents, etc. That is more fastpacking, which is described below.

Speed Hiking vs Fastpacking

Speed hiking sometimes gets mixed up with fastpacking because both involve navigating trails more rapidly.

While it should be noted that there is a TON of overlap between these two types of hiking, they do have major differences. Primarily, speed hiking and fastpacking are different because of:

Duration, and
Required gear.

Speed hiking can be done over great distances, but won’t be so long that you need to camp somewhere. Fastpacking on the other hand often times covers much greater distances than standard speed hiking, and can often span many days or weeks.

Fastpacking is characterized by less gear being packed to intentionally lighten the load. A lighter load allows for faster hikes over many days. Fastpacking is a great way to maximize an allotted amount of time in a national park.

Speed Hiking Compared to Trail Running

Speed hiking and trail running are different and alike in a number of ways. The most obvious differences between the two are laid out below:

Speed Hiking vs Trail Running - Comparisons

The most common differences between speed hiking and trail running are outlined below in more detail

1. Speed

The focus of trail running is, well… running. For this reason, the speed will be faster than speed hiking. Even though some trail runs require slowing down considerably during sections of the run, the overall average pace of trail running is much quicker than even a vigorous speed hike.

2. Duration

There’s no rule stating how long or short a speed hike or trail run need to be. That said, unless you are among the most elite trail runners it will be much easier to speed hike for a longer period of time.

Running requires more energy, and for this primary reason, a speed hike can be sustained for a longer period of time. Sure, you might need to keep a protein bar, and some water in your pockets to hike all day, but it is much more achievable to speed hike a full day than run a full day. If you do need to hold some food or water you can check out one of our favorite running belts here: SPIbelt Running Belt (click to see on Amazon).

3. Distance

This is a tough point of comparison since any distance covered is completely dependent on the person doing the activity.

Is it possible for a trail runner to cover more distance than a hiker? Absolutely.

Is it possible for a speed hiker to cover more distance than a trail runner? Also, absolutely.

Really, the distance traveled for either activity depends on the duration each activity is performed, and the average speed of the activity.

If both activities are done for the same period of time a trail run would cover more ground due to speed. Since it may not be possible for all runners to take on great distances, however, speed hiking might just be the best way to go further.

4. Intent

Intent may seem like an odd thing to compare trail running and speed hiking, but the question of why is important to consider. Look no further than the American Hiking Society’s Position Statement to see just how important intent is when taking on the trails.

With trail running the primary intent is to move through trails at speed. Often the goal of a trail run is to complete a set length of the trail in a better time than previously recorded. For this reason, the intent of trail running is competitive in nature. Even if competing against only yourself casual observance of scenery is more difficult, and may be a secondary goal of the run.

With speed hiking, you also want to move quickly through the trail, but your primary intent is to do so in order to take in more scenery.

For speed hiking, the intent is to cover more ground so more can be casually observed and appreciated.

5. Who Can Participate

Both trail running and speed hiking are activities open to the general public, but trail running for any considerable distance requires a more established fitness level. While anyone can take up running it is a difficult activity to accomplish long distances without working your way up to those efforts.

Speed hiking on the other hand, while still strenuous in its own right, is an extension of standard hiking. The cardiovascular strains put on the body are not as drastic as trail running.

For these reasons, speed hiking is generally more accessible to people of all fitness levels.

Speed Hiking During Ultra Trail Marathons

Trail marathons can be specifically brutal when it comes to elevation gains. On a 50 or 100 mile course, these brutal grades wreak havoc on times, and if ran up they can trash legs for the rest of the race. For this reason, many long-distance trail runners make a conscious decision to expend less energy on the most brutal uphill sections of course by hiking up the hill.

Quickly hiking up the steepest inclines is the best alternative to trying to run up the steep inclines. In this sense, the ultramarathoners are speed hiking their way up the hills. In the context of running competitions, this is usually referred to as power hiking. Regardless of what you call it, a jaunt of speedy hiking is still being used for a section of a trail run.

Speed hiking has become a popular tool for experienced trail runners to save energy. Less energy is expended on hiked sections of trail, and a more successful overall race can be completed.

Don't Limit Yourself to One Type of Activity

Don’t Limit Yourself to One Activity

Speed hiking and trail running are both beneficial activities that should be a part of any trail users repertoire.

For those of us who prefer not to run, speed hiking is a great scenery focused activity with just enough physical exertion to make things interesting.

For seasoned trail runners, it may make sense to include a number of speed hikes in the training schedule to work in some days where greater distances are covered over longer periods of time. This could be especially true if the hikes would take place in a very hilly environment, which may be difficult to sustain at a running pace.

Just Get on The Trail

No matter how we prefer to take on our trails the main attraction is always what lays ahead. Whether speed hiking, trail running or fastpacking the objective is to get out on the open trail and take it all in.

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image credit: Kris Arnold (https://www.flickr.com/photos/wka/) Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)