How do I start speed training as a recreational runner?

First establish regular easy running that you recover from well. Then try adding one short faster session within your existing week. Start with a small number of repetitions and avoid increasing distance, running frequency, and intensity at the same time.

Can easy running make me faster?

Easy runs help develop endurance. Consistency can contribute to a better race time, particularly while you are building a foundation. Later, a suitable faster session can help you practice a higher pace more specifically.

How often should I run intervals?

With three or four running days, one faster session is a practical starting point for someone with a consistent foundation. That could be intervals or hills. More is not automatically better; experience, other training, and recovery determine what fits.

How much recovery do I need between interval repetitions?

It depends on the length and purpose of the efforts. These examples range from 90 seconds of walking or jogging after a short minute to 2 minutes of jogging after longer efforts. If you cannot complete the next repetition with control, slow down or reduce the number of repetitions.

Strides are short, relaxed accelerations. Gradually build to a brisk pace and then ease off again, for example over 60–80 meters. Take generous recovery between repetitions. They are not all-out sprints.

Does my cadence need to be 180 steps per minute?

No. Cadence varies with factors including pace and body proportions. There is no universal ideal number for every runner. Changing cadence can redistribute load, but does not guarantee better performance or fewer injuries.

How long does it take to improve running speed?

It varies between runners and depends on starting fitness, consistency, and recovery. Assess several comparable sessions over a number of weeks. A time trial can help, but a fixed deadline or number of seconds gained should not be treated as a promise.

What if my running pace is not improving?

First check whether your sessions are comparable and whether fatigue could be affecting them. Then review your consistency and the balance between easy and harder running. Avoid automatically adding intensity. If the plateau continues, a coach can help assess your progression.

Improve running speed: 6 methods with example workouts

01 · Getting fasterGetting faster starts with a sensible plan

You keep pushing a little harder on your usual route, but your 5 km or 10 km time barely changes. Meanwhile, your legs feel tired more often. This is a useful moment to look at how you organize your training. An easy run, an interval session, and a strength workout each have a different job.

This article helps you choose how to improve running speed as a recreational distance runner. The six methods below do not all have the same strength of evidence: some develop fitness, while others support strength, coordination, or recovery. You will find practical workouts and example weeks for three or four runs. Treat them as starting points and adapt the amount to your current training.

02 · Build an easy-running foundationThe foundation: easy, consistent running

A faster race time also depends on sustaining your pace. Easy running helps develop endurance and leaves room for harder sessions. Easy means you can speak in full sentences. Your watch may show a slower pace than you are used to. Heart rate zones can help, but zone systems differ: use the numbers alongside your breathing and perceived effort.

If you are still learning to run continuously, focus on a consistent progression first, for example with a 5 km plan. If you already run several times a week and recover well, introduce a small amount of faster running within an existing session. Avoid lengthening all your other runs in the same week. That makes it easier to notice how you respond to the change.

03 · 1. Intervals1. Intervals: practice pace with recovery

Interval training alternates faster running with recovery. This allows you to practice a higher pace than you could hold throughout an easy run. Depending on the length and intensity of the repetitions, sessions train different aspects of fitness, including your ability to use oxygen and sustain a demanding pace.

Maximum oxygen uptake is called VO₂max. Different interval sessions do not all affect it in the same way. When running the session, the priority is to finish the last repetition with control. Our interval training definition explains the format.

Choose one example that suits your experience:

An introduction: 6 × 1 minute brisk, with 90 seconds of walking or easy jogging after each effort. Run noticeably faster than your easy pace, but save enough for the final repetition.

400 m repetitions: 6–10 × 400 m around your current 5 km pace, with a 200 m easy jog between repetitions. Ten repetitions are the fuller version; start with fewer if this session is new to you.

800 m repetitions: 4–6 × 800 m around your current 10 km pace, with 2 minutes of easy jogging. This suits runners already accustomed to longer efforts.

A pyramid: 4 minutes easy → 3 minutes brisk → 2 minutes strong → 1 minute faster, followed by 3 minutes of easy jogging. Start with one round. Two or three rounds make a longer workout for runners used to that load; the fastest minute is not an all-out sprint.

Longer efforts: 3–4 × 5 minutes at a strong but controlled effort, with 2 minutes of easy recovery. Choose an effort you can maintain evenly across the repetitions. The focus is on holding a pace rather than running as fast as possible.

No recent race time? Use perceived effort. Start conservatively, keep your movements relaxed, and slow down if your form deteriorates. Your target race pace is not automatically your current training pace.

04 · 2. Hill training2. Hill training and bridges

A hill provides resistance without needing to hit a particular pace per kilometer. You can use it to practice a strong push-off and relaxed arm movement. A bridge can work too, provided the path is clear and you leave space for other people.

Hills still place demands on your body. They are not automatically safer than running on the flat or doing jump training; your calves and Achilles tendons also work hard. Use the descent as easy recovery and choose a slope on which you can move with control.

Three options to use in place of another faster session:

Short hill repetitions: try 4–6 × 10–15 seconds briskly uphill, walking back down. Once accustomed to this, you may build toward 8–12 × 15 seconds. Choose a moderate slope; 5–7% is an example, not a requirement. Avoid sprinting all out.

Bridge repetitions: run a short section uphill at a strong effort four to six times, returning easily. Six to eight repetitions make a fuller session. The length of the climb helps determine how demanding it is.

Fartlek on rolling terrain: run for 20–30 minutes with a few short increases in pace, perhaps to a tree or bend. Keep most of the run easy and allow for changes in terrain when judging effort.

See our warm-up and cool-down guide for preparation. Keep your first hill session short and pay attention to how you recover over the following days.

05 · 3. Drills and strides3. Technique drills and relaxed strides

Technique drills are short exercises that focus on parts of the running movement. They can help you practice rhythm and coordination. Treat them as practice, without expecting ten minutes of drills to guarantee a faster race time.

Choose from these exercises:

A-skips: a skipping movement with a knee lift to practice rhythm and coordination between arms and legs.

B-skips: add an extending and sweeping movement after the knee lift. These take more coordination; ask for a demonstration if they are unfamiliar.

Heel flicks: a short drill bringing the heel backward. Do not force your heel to touch your buttock.

Carioca or grapevine: sideways crossover steps for coordination and rotational control.

Bounding: powerful leaping strides. This is a more demanding, explosive option for runners already accustomed to jumping exercises.

Initially, choose one or two simple drills and keep them brief while your movements remain smooth. You do not need to work through a full sequence.

Strides are relaxed accelerations. Gradually build to a brisk pace and ease off again over roughly 60–80 meters. Four repetitions with generous walking or jogging recovery are a practical starting point for a runner with a consistent foundation; six may suit you later. The aim is smooth movement, not sprinting or exhaustion.

06 · 4. Strength training4. Strength training for runners

Strength training can support your running. Research suggests that certain forms of heavier strength training and jump training can improve running economy: using less energy at the same pace. This does not mean that every short gym session will automatically make you faster. Exercise selection, progression, and previous training all matter.

Lunges, step-ups, squats, and deadlifts are useful examples. Start with a load that lets you control the movement. Jumping exercises need their own progression and are not a compulsory starting point. Get guidance with unfamiliar exercises if needed.

A runner's legs at the start of a step-up, with one whole foot on a concrete platform and the other on the ground

For a step-up, choose a stable platform and place your whole supporting foot on it. Step up and lower yourself with control. The photograph shows the starting position; choose a height and load that allow you to control the exercise.

Fitting it into your week: one or two short sessions of around 20–30 minutes can provide time to practice. If you are new to strength training, avoid immediately adding two demanding leg workouts to a full running week. Building strength and maintaining it do not always require the same amount of training. Adjust the amount to your running load and race goal. Read about combining running and strength training for help arranging sessions.

07 · 5. Cadence5. Cadence: when a change may help

Cadence is the number of steps you take per minute. Your watch may display it, but the number varies with factors including speed and body proportions. A universal target of 170–180 steps per minute is not an appropriate instruction for every runner.

Changing cadence can redistribute loads during running. That does not establish that every runner will become faster or experience fewer injuries. If running feels comfortable and you have no specific reason to change your stride, you do not need to increase your cadence deliberately.

Use your watch mainly to observe your own rhythm at comparable paces. If you want to change your stride because of pain, discuss the reason and approach with a sports physical therapist first. A prescribed percentage or metronome does not replace that assessment. The relaxed strides in the previous section let you experience different paces without chasing a compulsory cadence number.

08 · 6. Recovery6. Recovery and periodization

The effects of a training session continue into the days that follow. When fatigue accumulates, it becomes harder to complete the next session well. Periodization means organizing training load across days and weeks, allowing for recovery and your race goal.

Four things to consider:

Sleep: allow enough time and consider your individual sleep needs. A regular routine may help; read more about sleep and recovery.

Nutrition: eat enough throughout the day and plan a meal or snack containing carbohydrate and protein after a demanding session. How soon you need to train again partly determines the urgency of refueling. There is no universal deadline of exactly 60 minutes.

Easy running days: adapt them to your recovery. A shorter run or a rest day may be more useful than completing the planned minutes regardless.

Lighter weeks: ease back when your training load calls for it. That may be after several weeks of building or during a busy period elsewhere in life. Not everyone needs exactly 20% fewer kilometers every fourth week.

Account for work stress and other sports too. A day that looks easy in your running plan may still be demanding in practice.

09 · Example weeksExample weeks for three or four runs

These examples are for runners already accustomed to the stated number of running days and roughly this total duration. They are not programs for starting from zero or compulsory weekly volumes. Shorten the runs where that better fits your training. The faster session includes warming up, the repetitions, and cooling down; its exact duration depends on your recovery intervals.

Three runs per week

Monday: rest or an easy walk.

Tuesday: one faster session, such as 6 × 1 minute brisk with 90 seconds of recovery, plus easy warming up and cooling down.

Wednesday: rest.

Thursday: 30–40 minutes easy. Optionally, do a short, familiar strength session later that day if you recover well from the combination.

Friday: rest or gentle mobility work.

Saturday: rest or walking.

Sunday: 45–60 minutes easy, in keeping with your current longest run.

Four runs per week

Monday: rest.

Tuesday: one faster session, such as 4–6 × 400 m at your current 5 km pace, with 200 m jogging recoveries and easy warming up and cooling down.

Wednesday: 20–30 minutes easy. Optionally, add a short, familiar strength session if the combination suits you.

Thursday: rest.

Friday: 30–40 minutes easy. Include a few simple technique drills if you feel fresh.

Saturday: rest or an easy walk.

Sunday: a 50–70-minute easy run, provided you are already accustomed to that duration.

In another week, you could replace Tuesday's session with hills or longer efforts. Avoid automatically adding them as another hard day. A 20-minute tempo run is also a demanding session, not a recovery run. Long runs of 75–90 minutes may suit an experienced runner preparing for a half marathon, but are not a requirement for working on speed.

For a progression toward your goal, use a 10 km plan or half-marathon plan. An example week shows how sessions fit together; a full plan also manages progression across several weeks.

10 · Tracking progressHow to track your running progress

A fast session on a cool day and a difficult run in the heat tell you little about changes in fitness. Compare several sessions in conditions that are as similar as practical.

A fixed distance: a 5 km time trial or race can provide a reference point. You might do one every six weeks if it fits your plan; count it as a hard session.

The same intervals: look for more even repetitions or a slightly faster pace at a similar effort. Avoid shortening the recoveries at the same time if you want a fair comparison.

Easy running: a quicker pace at a comparable effort and heart rate may suggest improvement. Wind, heat, terrain, sleep, and measurement errors all affect the comparison.

Cadence and stride length: these describe your running, but a higher cadence or longer stride alone does not prove better running economy.

Add a short note about how the session felt to your training log, Strava, or Garmin Connect. A pattern across several weeks is more useful than a single PR on a segment.

11 · Speed for marathon runnersImproving running speed for marathon runners

For a marathon, the aim is primarily to sustain your intended pace for longer. Faster running can play a part, but needs to fit alongside long runs, enough easy running, and recovery. A marathon plan helps organize those elements over a longer period.

Four options for your marathon preparation:

Marathon-pace blocks: start with an amount you can already handle, such as 2 × 10 minutes at a realistic marathon pace with 5 minutes of easy running between them. A session of 3 × 5 km at marathon pace is a substantial specific workout for experienced runners.

Progressive long runs: start easy and increase the effort with control toward the end. Running the final 5–10 km around marathon pace requires experience and counts as a hard session; it need not happen every week.

Strength training: maintain familiar exercises for your legs and trunk, reducing the amount when running load increases.

Long intervals: 2 km repetitions can help you practice a pace. Set the number, pace, and recovery from your plan and current fitness. Five repetitions make a substantial example for experienced runners; start with fewer if this format is new to you.

These are options for different weeks. Avoid combining all of them with a demanding interval day in the same week.

12 · Common mistakesCommon mistakes when trying to run faster

Adding everything at once. More kilometers, hills, and heavy strength work in the same week make it difficult to judge what you can manage.

Running easy days too hard. Leave room to complete sessions with a pace goal under control.

Starting the first fast repetition cold. Increase effort gradually; easy running afterward can be a comfortable finish. A cool-down does not guarantee faster recovery or injury prevention.

Repeating only moderately hard runs. Consider whether a clearer distinction between easy and faster days would help. A beginner may benefit greatly from consistency without immediately adding intervals.

Treating strength work as if it adds no load. Even a short session can cause muscle soreness. That is a reason to adjust training, not to force the next speed session.

Ignoring pain. Stop a session if pain is sharp or increasing. Have persistent symptoms assessed and read about injury warning signs.

13 · Choosing a methodWhich training method fits your goal?

Intervals

Practice a faster pace with planned recovery periods.

Hills

Use a slope for a short, powerful running effort.

Technique

Practice coordination and relaxed movement without a guaranteed time gain.

Recovery

Adapt your next session to how well you have recovered from earlier training.

Use the table to choose one suitable option. The examples are explained in more detail above; together they do not make a weekly program.

Method	When is it useful?	Practical example
Intervals	You want to learn to control a faster pace	Short minute efforts or 400 m repetitions
Hills	You want a different speed stimulus and tolerate slopes	A few short repetitions with walking recovery
Technique drills	You want to practice movement or rhythm	A simple skip and relaxed strides
Strength	You want to get stronger gradually alongside running	Step-ups, squats, or lunges with a suitable load
Reviewing cadence	You have a specific question about your stride, beyond a watch reading	Compare your own rhythm at the same pace
Planning recovery	Fatigue is accumulating or your weekly load is increasing	A shorter session, rest day, or lighter week

14 · FAQFrequently asked questions

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Turn individual sessions into a suitable plan

Start with the number of running days that fits your life and a faster session that suits your current training. Use your current fitness, target distance, and available days to build a personal progression that also includes easy running and recovery.

Create your personal running plan

12 min

Running warm-up and cool-down: practical routines