Let me break this down for you. The movement mechanics are pretty specific when it comes to getting around - you'll need to use left stick or left shift to activate sprinting which gives you that extra burst of speed. Your base movement is tied directly to your speed attribute and athletics skill, and they work together to determine how fast you can move around and how quickly your fatigue comes back. Something interesting to note about speed optimization, you can actually push these limits pretty far with the right enchanted gear setups

Moving uphill though, that's where things get a bit murky. While most rpgs typically slow you down on inclines, there's no concrete evidence that shows this happening in the actual gameplay. A lot of players have actually mentioned the default movement feeling unusually quick, which is worth keeping in mind when you're planning your character build. If you're really looking to maximize your mobility, focus on boosting that speed attribute and keeping your athletics skill sharp - those are your guaranteed ways to move faster regardless of the terrain

The whole uphill movement thing might get cleared up in future patches, but for now just work with what we know affects your speed for sure