If you want to know how to run faster, here is the honest answer: do most of your running slower than you think, add one or two focused faster sessions a week, get stronger through resistance training, and stay consistent for long enough to let it work. That’s it. There’s no secret session. Most runners who are stuck aren’t missing a magic workout. They’re running their easy days too hard and their hard days not hard enough, and they’re too tired to ever really improve.
This is one of the most common questions we get as coaches, so this guide covers everything: how fast your easy runs should be, which speed sessions to do and how often, how to build your week, where strength training fits in, and what to do when you’ve stopped improving.
In this guide
How to run faster: the five things that matter
Getting faster comes down to five things done well, week in and week out. Get these right and you’ll improve. Skip one and it usually holds the others back.
- Do most of your running easy. Easy running builds the aerobic engine everything else sits on, and it lets you recover better.
- Add one or two quality sessions a week. Intervals, tempo runs, hills or fartlek, done properly.
- Do strength training. It makes you a more efficient runner and reduces your risk of injury.
- Recover properly. You get fitter in the recovery between sessions, not during them.
- Be consistent. Consistency outweighs any single great week. It’s the accumulation of training, week in and week out, that gets you race ready.
The rest of this guide goes through each of these in practical detail.
Why running slow makes you faster
Running slow makes you faster because easy running builds your aerobic fitness without leaving you too tired to train properly. It’s the base that makes your hard sessions count.
Easy runs are more important than you realise. When you run easy, your body gets better at delivering and using oxygen, which is what endurance running is all about. Because the effort is low, you recover quickly and can keep training consistently. Run those same easy runs too fast and you end up tired for the big sessions, meaning the sessions that are supposed to make you faster never quite get done properly.
I learned this one the hard way. A few years ago, coming back from Covid, I spent months doing only easy, heart-rate-capped running plus strength work. No intervals, no tempo runs, no speed work at all. Then I ran a 5km time trial and went under 30 minutes for the first time ever, a 28:45, more than a minute and 20 seconds faster than my previous best (you can read the full story in this Fast Friday post). I’m not saying you should never do speed work. But it showed me just how much improvement is possible if the engine is built properly, through easy running.
Research backs this up. In a 2014 study, 48 well-trained endurance athletes were split into four groups for nine weeks: lots of easy training, mostly threshold training, mostly high-intensity intervals, or a “polarised” mix of mostly easy training with some genuinely hard sessions. The polarised group, doing about two-thirds of their training at low intensity and about a quarter at high intensity, improved the most, including an 11.7% increase in VO2peak (a measure of aerobic fitness) and a 17.4% improvement in time to exhaustion (Stöggl and Sperlich, 2014). Notice how little of their training sat in the middle, in that “kind of hard” zone where most runners spend every single run.
How slow should your easy runs be?
Slow enough that you can hold a full conversation. Easy needs to FEEL easy, not just comfortable. If you’re breathing hard enough that talking is a struggle, you’re going too fast.
Here’s a way to think about it. Ask two runners to run 10km easy. One runner finishes in 45 minutes and the other takes 70 minutes. That’s 25 minutes’ difference in how long their bodies are working, so the same 10km is a completely different amount of stress for each of them. That’s why your easy pace is personal. Your easy pace is whatever is easy for you today, not what your running partner or someone on Strava runs.
Not sure what your easy pace should be? Use our free training zone calculator to work out your ideal training paces, so every session does the job it’s meant to.
How many speed sessions a week should you do?
For most runners, one or two quality sessions a week is plenty. One is often the right number, especially if you’re newer to running, over 50, or juggling a busy life.
More is not better here. Every hard session needs more recovery than an easy run, and if you stack too many together, they stop being quality sessions and start being tired, average runs. One hard session done properly beats three done half-heartedly. If you’re doing two, make sure there’s at least one easy day or rest day between them, and treat your long run as one of your harder days of the week.
The best speed workouts to run faster
The best speed workouts are intervals, tempo runs, hill repeats, fartlek and strides. Each one trains something slightly different, so a good plan rotates through them rather than doing the same session every week. It is, however, important to do the right sessions for where you are now, not just because you saw an influencer doing them.
| Session | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Intervals | Builds speed and aerobic power | 6 x 3 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy jog between them |
| Tempo run | Lets you hold a faster pace for longer | 20 minutes at a comfortably hard pace |
| Hill repeats | Builds strength and power with less impact | 6 x 60 seconds uphill, jog back down |
| Fartlek | Mixes speeds without strict structure | 30-minute run with 1-minute surges when you feel like it |
| Strides | Improves form and leg speed | 4-6 x 20 seconds quick and relaxed after an easy run |
Always warm up with at least 10 minutes of easy running before a quality session, and cool down with a few minutes of easy jogging afterwards.
Intervals
Intervals are short, hard efforts with recovery in between. Run each rep at a pace you could just about hold for the full set, not flat out on the first one and hanging on for the rest. The last rep should be as quick as the first. If it isn’t, you started too fast.
Tempo runs
A tempo run is a sustained effort at a pace that feels comfortably hard: you could speak a few words, but you wouldn’t want to chat. It teaches your body to hold a faster pace for longer, which is exactly what you need in a 10km, half marathon or marathon.
Hill repeats
Hills are speed work in disguise. They build strength and power with less pounding than flat-out speed on the track. Run up at a strong, controlled effort, focusing on driving your arms and staying tall, then jog or walk back down to recover.
Can’t find a decent hill near you? Don’t make it a mission. You can do the same session on a treadmill set at about a 4% gradient. If you want to work out how steep your local hill actually is, my colleague Lindsey has a guide to calculating the gradient for hill repeats.
Fartlek
Fartlek is Swedish for “speed play”, and that’s exactly what it is: an unstructured run where you throw in faster bursts whenever you feel like it, from one lamp post to the next or up a short rise. It’s a great introduction to speed work and a good option when you want variety.
Strides
Strides are short, relaxed accelerations of about 20 seconds, usually done at the end of an easy run. They’re not sprints. Think quick and smooth, not straining. They help your running form and leg speed without adding much fatigue, and they’re one of the easiest ways to start running faster.
How to structure your week to get faster
A good week has one or two quality sessions, a long run, easy runs in between, and strength training. Here’s the weekly structure we use at Coach Parry. It’s three runs of mixed intensity and duration plus a long run:
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Strength |
| Tuesday | Higher-intensity session (intervals, tempo, hills or fartlek) |
| Wednesday | Strength |
| Thursday | Easy run plus strength |
| Friday | Rest |
| Saturday | Long run |
| Sunday | Easy run |
If you’re running three days a week, keep the same strength days and run on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Add the Sunday easy run as your fourth day when you’re ready. Over a training block, your long run should be steadily increasing, but not every week. Build for a few weeks, then ease off for a week so your body can absorb the work.
Life will get in the way sometimes, and that’s fine. If you’ve had a bad night’s sleep or a big week at work, swap your hard session for an easy one. No single session or long run can define the success of a plan.
Why strength training is crucial for running faster
Strength training makes you faster because it makes you more efficient. It improves running economy by 2 to 8%, which means you use less energy to run at the same pace. It also makes you more resilient, so you can train consistently without breaking down.
Two or three sessions a week is a good target. Focus on the movements that matter for running: squats, lunges, step-ups, deadlifts or hip hinges, calf raises and some core work.
A few guardrails, because this is where runners often go wrong:
- Strength work is there to complement your running, not work against it. You shouldn’t leave a session feeling like you’ve just done a bodybuilding workout.
- Get your technique right before you add weight. Remember, if you’re new to strength training, body weight is still resistance.
- When an exercise gets easy, add weight or a heavier band, but DON’T keep adding more reps and sets.
- Keep heavy strength sessions away from the day before your quality session.
We’re training you to be a stronger, more efficient runner, not a bodybuilder.
Does running cadence matter?
Cadence (how many steps you take per minute) matters, but you don’t need to chase a magic number. For most runners, a small increase is enough, and it’s more about injury risk than raw speed.
Research from the University of Wisconsin found that increasing step rate slightly above a runner’s natural rate substantially reduced the load absorbed at the knee and hip (Heiderscheit and colleagues, 2011). In practice, that usually means slightly shorter, quicker steps rather than long, reaching strides where your foot lands well out in front of you.
Don’t overhaul your stride overnight. Make small changes, practise them on easy runs and strides, and let them become natural. Running drills are one of the quickest ways to make that happen. Get our free running drills sequence and do it at home before your runs.
How to run faster at different race distances
The principles don’t change with distance, but the emphasis does. The shorter the race, the more your quality sessions matter. The longer the race, the more your easy running and long run matter.
5km and parkrun
For a faster 5km, your quality session does most of the heavy lifting. Intervals of two to four minutes and strides will make the biggest difference. Your easy runs and long run are still important, but a 5km rewards being able to run hard and hang on. A regular parkrun or time trial is also a great way to check your progress.
10km
A 10km sits right between speed and endurance, so rotate intervals and tempo runs. Tempo work is especially useful because it teaches you to hold a strong pace for longer without falling apart in the second half. For a full plan, week by week, read my complete guide to your 10km training plan.
Half marathon and marathon
For the longer races, endurance comes first. Your long run, steadily increasing over the block, and plenty of easy running build the base. Tempo runs and race-pace sections within your long runs then teach you to hold your goal pace. Pacing becomes critical too: going out too fast in the first few kilometres costs far more time later than it saves early on. Lindsey goes into far more detail in his half marathon training guide and his complete guide to marathon training.
How to pace by effort instead of your watch
Learn to run by how a run feels, and use your watch as a check, not the boss. Perceived effort should be your first measure of intensity, especially on easy runs, on hills and on hot days.
Your watch is a useful tool, but it can mislead you:
- Hills can throw your pace all over the place. Run the effort, not the pace. As long as your easy runs FEEL easy, don’t overthink the numbers.
- Wrist heart rate can be unreliable. If you’re training by heart rate, use a chest strap. If your heart rate graph has strange straight lines or sudden jumps, it’s probably the sensor and poor data collection, not your heart.
- Heat and tiredness push your heart rate up and your pace down. On those days, slow down and stick to the effort.
One trick that helps a lot of runners: turn off your watch’s pace alerts for easy runs. You’ll learn to run by feel, you’ll run more consistently, and you’ll probably enjoy your runs more too.
How long does it take to get faster?
You’ll usually notice runs starting to feel easier within a few weeks of consistent training. Real improvements in race times take longer, typically a full training block of a few months.
Be patient and be realistic with your goals. Steady improvements over a training block are what you’re after. Expecting to take 15 or 20 minutes off a marathon in a couple of months usually leads to overtraining, injury or disappointment. Big jumps are possible, but they take time and a proper plan, including a sensible pacing strategy on race day rather than relying on feel alone.
The runners who improve the most aren’t the ones with the best single week. They’re the ones who string together months of good, steady training.
How to break through a running plateau
If you’ve stopped improving, the answer is usually to change something, not just do more of the same, harder. Most plateaus come from too much medium-effort running, too little recovery, or doing the same sessions for too long.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Are my easy runs actually easy? This is the most common culprit.
- Are my quality sessions actually quality? If you’re always tired, they probably aren’t.
- Have I done the same sessions for months? Mix in a different type of workout.
- Am I sleeping and eating enough? Recovery is where the improvement happens.
- Am I doing strength training? If not, it’s the easiest win available.
- When did I last test myself? A 5km time trial every few weeks tells you whether training is working and keeps your training paces accurate.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for a plateau is take an easier week. It feels backwards, but plenty of runners come back from a lighter week running better than before.
Common mistakes that stop runners getting faster
- Running every run at the same medium effort. Too hard to recover from, too easy to make you faster.
- Going too hard in intervals. Blowing up on rep three means the session didn’t do its job.
- Chasing weekly mileage. More kilometres isn’t automatically better if it leaves you constantly tired.
- Skipping strength training. It’s the one session most runners drop, and the one that helps most.
- Ignoring niggles. A few easy days now is better than a few weeks off later. If pain is getting worse or changing how you run, see a physiotherapist.
- Racing every training run. Save it for race day.
How to run faster FAQs
Can you run faster without doing speed work?
Yes, especially if you’re newer to running or have been running every run too hard. Easy running, strides and strength training alone can bring big improvements. To keep improving long term, though, most runners need some quality sessions in the mix.
How can I run faster without getting tired?
Slow down your easy runs, limit yourself to one or two hard sessions a week, and give yourself proper recovery. Most runners who feel tired all the time are running their easy days too fast.
Can you still get faster after 50?
Yes. The principles are the same, but recovery and strength training matter even more. Lindsey covers this in detail in his complete guide to running over 50.
How often should I run to get faster?
Four days a week of running, with strength training on top, works well for most runners. You can improve on three days a week too, as long as one of those runs is a quality session and one is a long run. More days only help if you can recover from them.
Do you need a running watch to get faster?
No. A watch is handy for checking your paces and tracking progress, but plenty of runners improve by running on feel and timing their efforts. If you do use one, let it guide you rather than dictate every run.
How fast should I run my long run?
At an easy, conversational effort for most of it. Your long run is about time on your feet and building endurance, not speed.
How we can help you run faster
The quickest way to get faster is to follow a plan that gets the balance right for you: the right easy pace, the right sessions, the right amount of recovery and strength work built in. That’s exactly what our training plans do. If you’re training for a specific race, start with the right plan for your distance: our 5km, 10km, half marathon or marathon training roadmaps. If you want all the plans plus coaching support, join Coach Parry.
Get the basics right, be patient, and the times will come down.
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