How to Run Faster: 5 Proven Methods
Running faster requires more than just running more — interval training, tempo runs, and strength training all address different limiters (top-end speed, sustained pace, and running economy respectively). Combining these with a solid aerobic base is what drives consistent progress once easy running alone stops producing results.
Why Progress Stalls
Running the same easy-paced route at the same effort week after week produces initial fitness gains, but the body adapts and plateaus without a new stimulus. Getting faster requires deliberately varying training — some sessions dedicated to speed, some to sustained effort, and some to building the underlying aerobic and strength base that supports both.
Method 1: Interval Training
Short, hard efforts (e.g., 400m at a fast pace) with recovery jogs or rest between reps. Intervals target top-end speed and VO2 max — your body's capacity to use oxygen during intense effort. Example: 6 × 400m at a hard effort, with 90 seconds recovery jog between each.
Method 2: Tempo Runs
A sustained effort at a "comfortably hard" pace — one you could hold for roughly 20–60 minutes if you had to, but wouldn't choose to go longer. Tempo runs improve your lactate threshold, the pace at which fatigue starts accumulating faster than your body can clear it. Example: 20 minutes at tempo pace, bracketed by an easy warm-up and cool-down jog.
Method 3: Cadence Improvement
Cadence (steps per minute) that's too low often means longer strides with more vertical bounce, which can be less efficient. Many runners find a modest increase in cadence — a slightly quicker, shorter stride — improves efficiency, though the ideal cadence varies by individual and isn't the same fixed number for everyone.
Method 4: Strength Training
Stronger legs and a more stable core improve running economy — how efficiently your body uses oxygen at a given pace. A systematic review of strength training in distance runners found it improved several performance-related measures without adding significant bulk. Squats, lunges, calf raises and core work, 2 sessions a week, are a reasonable addition to a running programme.
Method 5: Building Aerobic Base
Speed work matters, but it's built on top of a solid aerobic foundation from consistent easy-paced running. Skipping easy runs to do more hard sessions tends to backfire — most successful training plans are roughly 80% easy effort and 20% hard effort, not the other way around.
Hill Sprints: An Underused Tool
Short, hard efforts (8–12 seconds) up a moderate hill, followed by a full walk-down recovery, build power and running-specific strength with less joint impact than flat sprinting. 4–6 reps once a week is a useful addition once a base level of fitness is established.
A 6-Week Speed Development Approach
| Weeks | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Add 1 interval session/week to your existing routine |
| 3–4 | Add 1 tempo run/week alongside intervals |
| 5–6 | Add hill sprints, keep easy runs at true easy pace |
Introduce one new element at a time rather than adding everything at once — this reduces injury risk and makes it easier to see what's actually driving your improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions
References
- Barnes KR, Kilding AE. Running economy: measurement, norms, and determining factors. Sports Med Open. 2015;1:8.
- Blagrove RC et al. Effects of strength training on the physiological determinants of middle- and long-distance running performance: a systematic review. Sports Med. 2018;48(5):1117–1149.