Ultra-Trail Athlete & Coach
Performance
with purpose.
Elite ultra-trail athlete. Psychologist. Coach.
I turn kilometres into results.
Portugal national team · European Championships
Portuguese National Trail Champion
Trail World Championships 2019
UTMB Mont-Blanc — finisher 2024 and 2025
Personalized coaching
Train with me
Elite-level coaching, built on evidence and on twenty years of racing. Same method I use on myself — adapted to where you are now.
Generic plans don't work
Most plans aren't built for technical mountain terrain. You need something specific.
Too many platforms, zero clarity
Syncing TrainingPeaks, Strava and spreadsheets wastes your energy and focus.
Elite coaching feels out of reach
Top-level race strategy stays locked inside professional athletes' heads.
The method
High-volume aerobic blocks
A solid base built with structured, progressive volume.
Deliberate recovery cycles
Intelligent periodization to avoid overtraining and maximize adaptation.
Race simulation sessions
Specific workouts that replicate the demands of race day.
Psychology-based resilience
M.Sc. psychology techniques for mental management and focus.
Training plans
Choose your level
For those who already run occasionally, or with more advanced experience.
Fumo Base
Road or Trail · First race or a structured routine
- Monthly planning adapted to your discipline — Road: paces, treadmill and tarmac; Trail: climbs, stairs and accumulated vertical gain
- Reforço Muscular prescription on video and in guides, to prevent injury
- Access to the training app for logging data and metrics
- Monthly plan adjustment
Questions answered by email, with a weekly reply. No direct WhatsApp contact.
Elite Pace
Road or Trail · Personal bests up to 50km
- Everything included in Fumo Base
- Fortnightly personalised planning based on your history and your watch (Garmin, Coros, Polar, Suunto)
- Advanced Séries, race-pace simulations and heart-rate zone management
- Race strategy and psychology — effort management and mental resilience, drawn from my training in psychology
Fortnightly contact by voice message (WhatsApp or app), for feedback and quick adjustments.
Ultra Performance
Road or Trail · International marathons and ultras beyond 50km
- Everything included in Elite Pace
- Dynamic weekly planning, 100% personalised — if you miss a session or fall ill, the plan adapts
- Daily analysis of data and training load (HRV, accumulated fatigue)
- Tactical race-day plan: kit, step-by-step nutrition and pacing
- Specific preparation for heat and adverse conditions
Direct, priority contact with me on WhatsApp, answered the same day, plus a 30-minute one-to-one video call each month.
Never run before? There's a plan made for your first step.
Base plan · Road or Trail
The first step is the hardest.
I'll take care of the rest.
Never run before? Perfect — this plan is for you. Four guided weeks, no jargon and no rush, ending in a test that shows how far you've come. And if you want to keep going, we choose the right training plan together.
Road Running
For anyone who wants to get off the couch and reach their first 5 km
- Guided 4-week plan (PDF) — men's or women's edition
- 3 runs a week + 2 strength sessions, no gym needed
- Final test: your first 5 km non-stop
- Personal feedback from Hélio on your test
Trail Running
For anyone who wants to start running in nature
- Guided 4-week plan (PDF) — men's or women's edition
- 3 runs a week + 2 strength sessions, no gym needed
- Final test: 8 to 10 km of trail
- Personal feedback from Hélio on your test
Plans available in Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and German.
- Feel the effort
The talk test — no watches, no formulas.
- Train 4 weeks
Everything planned, day by day. Rest counts too.
- Take the test
Your finish line — and your new starting point.
- We pick the plan
Your test opens the door: if you want to continue, we choose the right training plan together.
Already running regularly? The training plans are your place.
Athlete feedback
What my athletes say
“I got my first podiums, kept increasing the distances, then came the +100 km races and PT281 (...) Hélio knows when to push and when to pull the brake. Over time, the coach also became a friend.”
“At 47 and with little running experience, I feel I found someone honest and humble who knew how to challenge me (...) And I've already taken 2 minutes off my 5km time!”
“I realised there was more than an elite athlete in front of me: a magnetic person, with passion and love for running and for people. (...) Now I understand the phrase «I confuse the need to breathe with the need to run».”
“With Hélio it's different: he cares (...) the plan is weekly and adjusts. I felt tremendous progress and friends say the same: «Since you've been with Hélio, you've made an incredible leap!»”
“I always dreamed of one day running an international marathon (...) As soon as I started training with him I noticed a huge difference in my progress, both physical and mental.”
“I work shifts and I'm sure that's been challenging, but the result has been fantastic! I've come a long way and I still love running!”
“I feel stronger, especially in races, and much calmer (...) there's real follow-up and the sessions are adapted to what I need, not just training for training's sake.”
“There's variety and purpose in every session, and that adds motivation. (...) He's approachable, understanding and empathetic — asking questions never feels awkward.”
“I now have much more human coaching. I don't feel like a row in some app. (...) No session is easy, and no session is pointless.”
Frequent questions
Frequent questions
How does remote coaching work?
You get your plan on TrainingPeaks, sync your watch, and I review your data on the agreed cadence. Adjustments happen inside the platform — no spreadsheets.
Which plan is right for me?
If you're preparing your first race or want to structure your routine, start with Fumo Start. If you already compete and are chasing personal bests up to 50km, Elite Pace. If you have an international marathon or an ultra beyond 50km ahead of you, Ultra Performance.
What's included vs. full coaching?
Plans give you structure and periodization. Full coaching adds continuous adjustment, direct contact and race-week strategy built around you.
Can I switch plans midway?
Yes. Subscriptions can be upgraded at any point and the value already paid that month is credited.
What if I get injured during the program?
We pause and rebuild. The plan is reprogrammed around your return, at no extra cost.
About me
The athlete
I was born in Maputo and came to Portugal at 11, with my grandparents. I started on the track — seven years in a Benfica shirt — and since 2016 the trails are where I belong. I became National Trail Champion and had the honour of representing Portugal six times, across Athletics and Trail Running. I race for Compressport and SCARPA as an international athlete and, at home, I wear the colours of ADN Mértola.
Away from racing, I'm a father and a husband — and that is what gives meaning to the rest. I film, edit and share running videos on my YouTube channel; it started as a joke, because Fumo “makes smoke”, and out of that fun came #FAZFUMO, the brand that today stands for everything I believe in. I founded Associação Hélio Fumo — Inclusão pelo Desporto, I'm the biscuit guy at Love In the Bag, and I created the “Alimenta esta Corrida” project, which has already taken more than 25 tonnes of food to families in need, one kilometre at a time.
My philosophy
Every kilometre tells a story
Running ultras taught me that limits exist to be tested — physically, but above all mentally. My work as a psychologist and coach is to help you find your real potential, on the trails and in life.
Talk to meAssociation
Associação Hélio Fumo
Social inclusion through sport
Associação Hélio Fumo was born from a simple conviction: sport opens doors that nothing else opens. We work so that sport reaches those with the least access to it, supporting people in vulnerable situations and building community with every step — because nobody truly runs alone.
Support the associationPartnerships
Become a partner
I work with brands that share the same idea of sport: demanding, honest, and with an impact beyond the finish line. The audience is built around trail running, endurance and an active lifestyle — and there is a story of social inclusion tied to it. Full numbers, deliverables and tiers are in the media kit.
Followers across networks
Views · 90 days
Interactions · 90 days
UTMB Mont-Blanc finisher
National Team · Trail European Championships
ITRA Index · Elite 3
Partners
Let's talk
Ready for the next level?
Coaching, brand partnerships or media — send a message and I reply within 48 hours.
- @helio_fumo
- Lisbon, Portugal
For coaching enquiries, include your current experience, goals and weekly availability — it helps me recommend the right plan.