Free assessment → plan → AI coach

Get a clear read on
your running.

A free 2-minute assessment, then a personalized plan and an AI coach you can chat with. It adapts to your data every day. No card to start.

No credit card required

How it works

From first run to race day.

01

Start with a conversation

Hop on a quick voice call or chat with your AI coach: your goals, your schedule, your history. Then connect Garmin, COROS, Polar, or Suunto.

02

Get your assessment

Vertical reads your training against 200+ peer-reviewed papers and shows you exactly where you stand.

03

Get your plan

A personalized plan built around your limiters. It rebuilds as you progress and adapts overnight to your recovery.

04

Chat with your coach anytime

Daily check-ins, plan tweaks, and answers to anything you ask. Your coach guides you the whole way.

Inside your assessment

Not a number. A real read on your running.

Most "fitness scores" hand you one number and call it a day. Vertical reads your training like a coach would, and tells you what it means.

  • Your fitness level and aerobic base
  • The strengths you can lean on
  • The limiters holding back your times
  • A clear next step toward your goal

After your assessment

Your assessment is step one.

Your assessment becomes a plan, and a coach that adapts to you every day.

01

A plan built around your assessment.

Your limiters become your plan, and it rebuilds as you progress. It even adapts overnight: HRV down, and today's hard session becomes an easy one.

Your plan · this week
MonEasy 8k
WedTempo 10k
SatLong 22k
SunRest
02

A coach in your pocket.

Ask your coach anything by chat and get a real answer based on your training. "Should I race this weekend?" "Why did I bonk at mile 18?" It checks in every morning and adjusts your week on the fly.

Your Coach · 6:42 AM

Your resting heart rate is up 6 bpm and HRV dropped 15% overnight. Let's swap today's tempo for an easy 6k. We'll hit the hard session Thursday when you're fresh.

Based on last night's Garmin data

Built on research

An assessment you can actually trust.

No black-box score. Your assessment and plan are built on 200+ peer-reviewed papers in exercise physiology, periodization, and injury prevention. It's the same science elite coaches use, applied to your numbers.

Research foundation
Polarized training intensity distributionStöggl & Sperlich · Front. Physiol. · 2014
HRV-guided training in recreational runnersKiviniemi et al. · Med. Sci. Sports · 2007
Individual lactate threshold progression in endurance athletesFaude et al. · Int. J. Sports Med. · 2009
+ 197 more papers

Get started

Start with your free assessment.

See where you stand in 2 minutes, then get the plan and a coach you can chat with. No card to start.

Free · About 2 minutes · Trusted by 200+ athletes

Common questions

Is the assessment really free?

Yes, completely free, and it takes about two minutes. You'll create a free account so we can save your results, but no card is required and there's no obligation to continue.

What do I need to take it?

Nothing but your running history. Answer a few quick questions about your training, or connect Garmin, COROS, Polar, or Suunto for a data-driven assessment based on your real activities.

How long does it take?

About two minutes. You answer a few questions (or let Vertical read your watch data) and your assessment is generated as soon as it's ready.

What do I get at the end?

A clear, honest read on your running fitness: your current level, your strengths, your limiters, and what to work on next. If you want a full adaptive training plan and daily coaching, you can start a free 7-day trial, but the assessment itself is yours to keep.

What happens after the assessment?

If you want to act on it, Vertical turns your assessment into a personalized training plan and coaches you through it daily. You can chat with your coach whenever you need, just like a real one. Try the full plan and AI coach free for 7 days; the assessment itself is always free.