J Scott Chapman at the Copper Kings 100 finish with his buckle

About the Founder

J Scott Chapman

Mountain ultra coach who builds the tools he wishes he'd had.

  • 2× 100-Mile Finisher
  • 1× 200-Mile Finisher
  • MT Montana-Based
  • Free Built the App
Try the App — Free Work With Me

I'm a Montana mountain and ultra runner, a coach, and a permanent student of this sport. Most of what's on Ready for Ultra started as a question I had about my own training — and the tools came from the same place. The Ready for Ultra app — the free threshold and zone calculators — exists because I wanted to find my actual aerobic threshold from real Strava data instead of trusting an age-based formula. So I built the thing I wished already existed.

I've been lucky enough to spend a lot of hours on hard courses. Two 100-mile finishes (Copper Kings 100 and the Bighorn 100), a 200-mile finish at Across the Years, and a long list of vertical and mountain races in between. In July I'll line up for my next big one, the Crazy Mountain 100.

None of that makes me an oracle — it makes me someone who has tested a lot of training ideas on his own legs, gotten plenty wrong, and kept notes.

That's the spirit of everything here: capacity before utilization, easy running that's actually easy, strength that holds up on steep descents, and data you can trust because it's your data.

How I Coach

Four principles behind every plan, guide, and tool on Ready for Ultra.

Capacity Before Utilization

Build a bigger aerobic engine first. Learning to use it comes later — most runners skip the first part.

Easy Running That's Actually Easy

The bulk of your volume should be truly aerobic — below your AeT, not the gray zone that feels productive but isn't.

Strength That Holds Up Downhill

Mountain races are won and lost on the descents. Train the legs that have to brake for hours, not just climb.

Data You Can Trust

Train off your real heart rate data, not an age-based formula. Your thresholds are personal — measure them.

Selected Race Record

Verifiable on UltraSignup.

Race Year Time
Across the Years 200 Miler 2023 87:47:54
Copper Kings 100 2025 36:11:10
Bighorn 100 2017 33:51:56
Run the Rut — Lone Peak VK 2022 2:00:15
River of No Return 55K 2024 9:31:50
Crazy Mountain 100 2026 Registered

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is J Scott Chapman?

J Scott Chapman is a Montana-based mountain and ultra runner, an endurance coach, and the founder of Ready for Ultra. He built the free Ready for Ultra app — a threshold and heart-rate-zone calculator — and writes the site's training guides.

What ultramarathons has J Scott Chapman finished?

He has finished two 100-milers (Copper Kings 100 in 2025 and the Bighorn 100 in 2017) and the Across the Years 200-miler (2023, 7th overall), along with vertical and mountain races including the Lone Peak VK and the River of No Return 55K. His results are verifiable on UltraSignup.

Does J Scott Chapman coach runners?

Yes. He coaches mountain and ultra runners with an experience-based approach grounded in years of racing 100- and 200-mile events and a deep study of endurance physiology. You can work with him through the Ready for Ultra coaching page.

What is the Ready for Ultra app?

The Ready for Ultra app is a free web tool that analyzes your real Strava heart rate data to find your aerobic threshold (AeT) using cardiac drift, calculate your lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR), and build personalized training zones — instead of relying on an age-based formula.

Where is J Scott Chapman based?

He is based in Montana and trains and races in the mountains of the Northern Rockies, including the Crazy Mountains, where he'll run the Crazy Mountain 100 in July 2026.

What is J Scott Chapman's coaching philosophy?

Capacity before utilization: build a large aerobic base first, keep easy running genuinely easy, develop strength that holds up on long descents, and train off your own measured heart rate data rather than generic formulas.

Find Me Elsewhere

Strava Training & races YouTube @ReadyForUltra HPO Podcast Ep. 419 w/ Zach Bitter Email hello@readyforultra.com