Century ride training plan
Get ready to ride 100 miles strong, not just survive it, with a steady endurance build.
Overview
A century is an endurance test more than an intensity test. The one thing that matters most is a progressively longer weekend ride that teaches your body, and your fuelling, to keep going for five to eight hours.
Around that long ride you add moderate tempo and sweet spot work to raise your steady pace, so 100 miles feels manageable rather than desperate. A 12-week build that grows the long ride from three hours toward five or six, with recovery weeks, gets most riders to the line ready.
How the plan is structured
A sample training week
Key workouts
Tips to get it right
- Dial in fuelling on your long rides. 60 to 90 g of carbs per hour and steady drinking beats bonking at mile 80.
- Train at the pace and in the position you plan to ride the century.
- Grow the long ride gradually. Jumping the weekend ride too fast is how riders get injured or overtrained.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to train for a century ride?
If you can already ride 2 to 3 hours, about 12 weeks is comfortable. Complete beginners may want 16 weeks to build the long ride safely.
What is the most important workout?
The weekly long ride. Extending it steadily, with recovery weeks, is what prepares your body and fuelling for 100 miles.
Do I need a power meter?
No, but training to power or heart-rate zones makes pacing and progress much clearer. TrainCraft scales the plan to your FTP so the targets stay right as you improve.
Related training plans
Ready to build your century (100 mi) plan?
Create it in TrainCraft and it adapts around your fitness and fatigue when life gets in the way.